FAISALABAD, Pakistan (AP) — South Africa won its first toss on the tour of Pakistan and elected to bat in the series-deciding third and final ODI on Saturday.
The series is locked 1-1 after Pakistan won the first game narrowly by two wickets and South Africa bounced back with the help of Quinton de Kock’s unbeaten century to win the second game by eight wickets.
Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf returned after serving two-match ban for violating ICC code of conduct during the Asia Cup in late September and replaced Naseem Shah. Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed, who was surprisingly left out from the second match, made his way back into the playing XI in place of Mohammad Wasim.
South Africa awarded an ODI debut to 28-year-old wicketkeeper-batter Rubin Hermann in place of injured Sinethemba Qeshile. The Proteas went with an extra seam option and brought back Lungi Ngidi as left-arm spinner George Linde missed out.
South Africa didn’t win a toss in a two-match drawn test series in Pakistan. The Proteas also lost all the five tosses in the white-ball series before at last calling it correctly in the final game of the tour on Saturday.
Lineups:
South Africa: Quinton de Kock, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Tony de Zorzi, Matthew Breetzke (captain), Rubin Hermann, Donovan Ferreira, Corbin Bosch, Bjorn Fortuin, Nqabayomzi Peter, Nandre Burger, Lungi Ngidi.
Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Hussain Talat, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed.
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
Pakistan’s skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi, left, shakes hand with South Africa’s skipper Mathew Breetzke after the coin toss before start of the third one day international cricket match between Pakistan and South Africa, in Faisalabad, Pakistan, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Russian drone slammed into a tower block in eastern Ukraine early on Saturday while many were sleeping, killing two women and leaving 12 people injured, Ukrainian authorities reported.
The attack in Dnipro, Ukraine’s fourth-largest city, was part of a large Russian missile and drone barrage across the country that targeted energy infrastructure.
In eastern Ukraine, fighting for the strategic city of Pokrovsk has reached a key stage, with both Kyiv and Moscow vying to persuade U.S. President Donald Trump that they can win on the battlefield.
Russia fired a total of 458 drones and 45 missiles, including 32 ballistic missiles. Ukrainian forces shot down and neutralized 406 drones and nine missiles, the air force said, adding that 25 locations were struck.
Authorities switched off power in several regions due to the attacks, Ukrainian Energy Minister Svitlana Grynchuk said in a post on Facebook.
A fire broke out and several apartments were destroyed in the nine-story building in Dnipro, the emergency services said. Rescuers recovered the bodies of two women and two children were among the injured.
Almost four years after its all-out invasion, Russia has been pummeling Ukraine with near-daily drone and missile strikes, with many civilians killed and injured.
Several regions have faced rolling power cuts as Moscow bashes Ukraine’s power grid ahead of winter, according to the national energy operator. The Kremlin claims its only targets are linked to Kyiv’s war effort.
Pokrovsk sits along the eastern front line, part of what has been dubbed the “fortress belt” of Donetsk, a line of heavily fortified cities crucial to Ukraine’s defense of the region. It could also be a key point in influencing Washington’s stance and sway the course of peace negotiations, analysts say.
Russian President Vladimir Putin claims his forces are on the cusp of winning. As a prerequisite for peace, he demands that Ukraine cede the Donbas, made up of Donetsk and neighboring Luhansk, one of his key war aims.
Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, firefighters put out the fire following a Russian rocket attack that hit a multi-storey apartment building in Dnipro, Ukraine, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)
In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, firefighters evacuate a resident following a Russian rocket attack that hit a multi-storey apartment building in Dnipro, Ukraine, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)
