Babar, Imam seal series victory over Australia

LAHORE: Pakistan defeated Australia by nine wickets in the final ODI of the three-match series courtesy Babar Azam and Imam-ul-Haq’s stellar batting at Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday night, as the hosts recorded their first ODI series victory against the Aussies in 20 years.

Pakistan last won the series against Australia at home in 1988/89 while in their away series Pakistan tasted victory in 2002 in Australia.

Pakistan won the toss and put Australia in to bat, scuttling them out inside 42 overs for 210 before making light work of that target, with Imam and Babar making an inexperienced Australian bowling attack look particularly toothless. An undefeated 105 by Babar, his second consecutive hundred, and an unbeaten 89 from Imam helped Pakistan canter to a nine-wicket win with 73 balls to spare.

Imam finished the match with a six.

Babar and Imam put on an unbeaten 190 runs together for the second wicket.

Babar got a life when at one Travis Head stretched to his left but could not grab Babar’s hit at short mid-on off Ellis.

Babar completed his half century in 57 balls. Imam reached his 11th half century in 55 balls.

The only success the visiting side had was the wicket of Fakhar Zaman, who made 17 runs as he became the scalp of Nathan Ellis when Pakistan were 24 in the fourth over.

Earlier, Pakistan won the third toss and invited Australia to bat. Pakistan grabbed early wickets to dismiss Australia for just 210 runs.

Pacers Haris Rauf (3-39), Mohammad Wasim (3-40) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (2-40) kept the pressure from the start as Australia were bowled out in 41.5 overs.

Alex Carey top-scored with a gritty 61-ball 56 and Sean Abbott hit a 40-ball 49 in an otherwise dismal batting show by the visitors.

Australia won the first match by 88 runs and Pakistan the second by six wickets.

Australia lost in-form Travis Head with the first ball of the match, from Shaheen.

Out-of-form skipper Aaron Finch fell in the next over from Rauf, trapped leg-before for a second time in a row, as Australia lost both openers without a run on the board.

Rauf made it 3-6 when Marnus Labuschagne edged one to slip for Iftikhar Ahmed to take a simple catch.

Ben McDermott (36) and Marcus Stoinis (19) took the score to 59 when the latter chipped spinner Zahid Mahmood to Imam-ul-Haq, who took a good diving catch.

McDermott, who smashed a maiden ODI century in the second game, was trapped leg-before by Wasim for 36 as Australia lost half their side for just 67 by the 16th over.

Carey and Cameron Green (34) added an invaluable 81 runs for the sixth wicket off 95 balls, but Wasim came for his second spell to bowl Green in the 32nd over.

Carey’s resistance finally ended when he holed out to spinner Iftikhar after hitting six boundaries and a six.

Abbott, who also hit six boundaries and a six, made sure Australia got past 200 during a last-wicket stand of 44 runs before falling to Rauf.

Zahid Mehmood and Iftikhar Ahmed, on the other hand, made one scalp each.

Score Board

Pakistan won the toss

Australia Innigs

Travis b Shaheen Shah 0

Aaron(c) lbw b Haris Rauf 0

McDermott c Iftikhar b Wasim 36

Labuschagne c Iftikhar b Haris 4

Stoinis c Imam b Zahid 19

Carey †c Fakhar b Iftikhar 56

Green b Wasim 34

Abbott c Wasim b Haris 49

Behrendorff c Fakhar b Shaheen 2

Nathan Ellis b Mohammad Wasim 2

Adam Zampa not out 0

Extras: (lb 2, w 6) 8

Total: (41.5 Ov, RR: 5.01) 210

Fall: 1-0, 0.1 ov, 2-0, 1.3 ov, 3-6, 5.1 ov, 4-59, 12.5 ov, 5-67, 15.2 ov, 6-148, 31.1 ov, 7-155, 32.6 ov, 8-162, 34.6 ov, 9-166, 35.5 ov, 10-210, 41.5 ov

Bowling: Shaheen Shah Afridi 8-2-40-2, Haris Rauf 8.5-1-39-3, Zahid Mahmood 8-0-51-1, Mohammad Wasim 10-1-40-3, Iftikhar Ahmed 7-0-38-1

Pakistan Innings (Target: 211 runs)

Fakhar c Labuschagne b Ellis 17

Imam-ul-Haq not out 89

Babar Azam (c) not out 105

Extras: (lb 1, w 2) 3

Total: (37.5 Ov, RR: 5.65) 214/1

Did not bat: Mohammad Rizwan †, Asif Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Wasim, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Zahid Mahmood

Fall: 1-24 , 3.4 ov

Bowling: Jason Behrendorff 9-0-51-0, Nathan Ellis 6-0-38-1, Adam Zampa 9-0-50-0, Cameron Green 3-0-19-0, Travis Head 2-0-9-0, Sean Abbott 3-0-15-0, Marnus Labuschagne 5.5-0-31-0

Man of the match: Babar Azam (Pak)

Man of the series: Babar Azam (Pak)

Result: Pakistan won by 9 wickets (with 73 balls remaining)

Umpire: Ahsan Raza, Asif Yaqoob