In the ODI series decider at Perth, Pakistan’s pace attack overpowered Australia, bowling them out for a mere 140 runs. Pakistan’s formidable performance puts them on the verge of a historic series win, as a victory here would mark their first ODI series triumph on Australian soil in 22 years.
Pakistan’s bowlers, led by Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah with three wickets each, dismantled Australia’s batting lineup. Haris Rauf and Mohammad Hasnain also contributed to the rout, with Rauf taking two wickets and Hasnain one. Confident in his strike bowlers, Pakistan’s captain Mohammad Rizwan opted not to use a fifth bowler throughout Australia’s innings.
Australia struggled against the fiery attack, with six batsmen failing to reach double figures. Sean Abbott emerged as the top scorer for the hosts with 30 runs, followed by Matt Short with 22. Cooper Connolly suffered a hand injury during his innings and is unlikely to return, adding to Australia’s woes.
Australia made five changes for the final match to rest key players including Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, and Adam Zampa, all ahead of the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Pakistan, on the other hand, fielded an unchanged side, determined to capitalize on their consistency.
The three-match series currently stands level at 1-1, with Australia narrowly winning the first game and Pakistan dominating the second. A win here would be monumental for Pakistan, ending a 22-year drought since their last ODI series victory in Australia in 2002.
Australia XI:
Matt Short, 2. Jake Fraser-McGurk, 3. Aaron Hardie, 4. Josh Inglis (capt, wk), 5. Cooper Connolly, 6. Marcus Stoinis, 7. Glenn Maxwell, 8. Sean Abbott, 9. Adam Zampa, 10. Spencer Johnson, 11. Lance Morris
Pakistan XI:
Saim Ayub, 2. Abdullah Shafique, 3. Babar Azam, 4. Mohammad Rizwan (capt, wk), 5. Kamran Ghulam, 6. Salman Agha, 7. Irfan Khan, 8. Shaheen Shah Afridi, 9. Naseem Shah, 10. Haris Rauf, 11. Mohammad Hasnain