Australia Outclass Pakistan by 41 Runs to Set Up ODI Decider
LAHORE: Australia bounced back in the three-match ODI series with a 41-run win over Pakistan in the second fixture at Gaddafi Stadium on Tuesday, thanks to crucial half-centuries from Josh Inglis and Cameron Green and a match-winning spell from Nathan Ellis.
The result leveled the series at 1-1, setting up a decider at the same venue on Thursday.
Chasing a target of 232, Pakistan were dismissed for 190 in 44 overs despite a fighting knock from Shadab Khan. The hosts endured a disastrous start as Maaz Sadaqat and Sahibzada Farhan were both removed within the opening two overs, leaving the scoreboard at 6/2.
Babar Azam attempted to counterattack with a brisk 16 that included two boundaries, but Nathan Ellis ended his stay in the fifth over. Pakistan’s troubles deepened as Salman Ali Agha and Abdul Samad departed cheaply, reducing the home side to 41/5.
Ghazi Ghori showed resilience amid the collapse, compiling 37 from 48 deliveries with five fours before Adam Zampa ended his resistance in the 17th over. With Pakistan struggling at 78/6, Shadab Khan and Arafat Minhas rebuilt the innings through a composed 59-run partnership for the seventh wicket.
Minhas contributed a valuable 33 off 43 balls before becoming Ellis’s third victim. Shadab continued to anchor the chase and later added 31 runs alongside captain Shaheen Shah Afridi, who scored 11. The all-rounder eventually finished as Pakistan’s leading scorer with 71 from 104 deliveries, striking three sixes and a four.
Australia’s bowlers maintained control throughout the chase, with Ellis producing outstanding figures of 4/33 in nine overs. Matthew Short claimed three wickets, while Zampa, Matthew Kuhnemann and Tanveer Sangha picked up one apiece.
Earlier, Australia posted 231/9 from their allotted 50 overs after being sent in to bat.
Pakistan made the ideal start when Shaheen Shah Afridi dismissed Alex Carey with the very first ball of the innings. However, Australian captain Josh Inglis steadied the innings alongside Matthew Short, adding 46 runs for the second wicket before Abrar Ahmed removed Short for 15.
Arafat Minhas then struck to dismiss Marnus Labuschagne for five, leaving Australia at 51/3. Inglis and Cameron Green responded with a crucial partnership worth 51 runs, helping Australia regain momentum.
Inglis reached his fifth ODI half-century before Minhas ended his innings on 51 off 74 deliveries, which included five boundaries. Green continued to play a stabilizing role and later shared a 65-run stand with Matt Renshaw to strengthen Australia’s position.
The Australian all-rounder top-scored with 53 from 92 balls, hitting two sixes and a four, before Abrar Ahmed broke the partnership. Renshaw also made an important contribution with 43 off 43 deliveries.
In the closing overs, Oliver Peake provided a useful boost with a quickfire 31 from 31 balls, helping Australia push beyond the 230-run mark.
For Pakistan, Shaheen led the bowling effort with 3/36, while Minhas, Abrar and Haris Rauf claimed two wickets each. Despite their bowlers restricting Australia to a manageable total, Pakistan’s batting unit failed to recover from the early collapse as the visitors secured a series-leveling victory.
