Pakistan battled the spin challenge posed by Australia on a tricky wicket to win the third and final ODI by four wickets and clinch the series 2-1 in Lahore on Thursday.
After Australia crashed to their lowest ODI total in Pakistan and got bowled out for 157 in 42 overs. The hosts had to really fight it hard on a spinning track to reach 161 for 6 in 41.5 overs.
Pakistan completed their third straight ODI win over Australia in a bilateral series, thanks to an unbeaten 29 from all-rounder Shadab Khan and 18 not out from Abdul Samad. Earlier, Shadab had also impressed with the ball, taking 2 for 28.
The series was played on spin-friendly pitches where Australia had won the second ODI at the same venue by 41 runs on Tuesday, while Pakistan claimed a five-wicket victory in the opening game in Rawalpindi last week.
Australia looked to be in control when left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann (3 for 38) clean bowled Pakistan’s top-scorer Babar Azam for 40 in the 30th over, reducing the hosts to 112 for 6.
Babar fought hard for his runs, facing 84 balls over nearly two hours and hitting just three boundaries. However, Kuhnemann produced a superb delivery that spun away sharply and hit the off stump.
With Pakistan under pressure, Shadab and Samad showed great patience on a difficult pitch and steadily guided their team towards the target. Australia failed to break the partnership and Shadab sealed the win in style by smashing Adam Zampa to the long-on boundary.
Earlier, Australia’s batting line-up struggled against Pakistan’s bowlers. Despite a fighting 65 off 71 balls from Josh Inglis, the visitors could only manage a modest total after their middle order collapsed against the pace of Shaheen Shah Afridi and the leg-spin of Abrar Ahmed, who finished with 2 for 19.
Inglis, opening the batting in place of Alex Carey for the first time in the series, chose to bat after winning the toss. However, Shaheen struck in the very first over by dismissing Matthew Short.
Inglis and Marnus Labuschagne added 46 runs for the second wicket, but Labuschagne’s difficult series continued as he was run out for 19 while attempting a risky second run. Inglis then shared a half-century stand with Carey to put Australia back on track.
But the innings fell apart after that. Fast bowler Haris Rauf started the collapse by bowling Carey for 19 in the 23rd over. Four overs later, Shaheen struck twice in the same over, dismissing both Inglis and Cameron Green. Inglis was caught at mid-on, while Green was caught by Babar Azam at short mid-wicket.
Cooper Connolly, brought into the side for the series decider, managed just three runs before Abrar Ahmed bowled him around his legs. Australia’s batters found it difficult to handle the slow surface and continued to lose wickets at regular intervals.
Shadab, who had gone wicketless in his previous five ODIs, returned among the wickets by removing Oliver Peake and Adam Zampa. Australia’s tail folded quickly, with the innings ending when Nathan Ellis was run out.
