Pakistan record first ODI win down under in 12 years
MELBOURNE: Stand-in captain Mohammad Hafeez led Pakistan to their first victory on the tour of Australia with a six-wicket win in the second one-day international of the five-match series here on Sunday.
Hafeez, leading Pakistan in the absence of injured captain Azhar Ali, carried Pakistan to 221-4 off 47.4 overs with a 72-run knock to level the series 1-1.
Left-arm fast bowlers Mohammad Amir took 3-47 and Junaid Khan made a comeback to international cricket with an opening burst of two wickets to dismiss Australia for 220 in 48.2 overs.
Shoaib Malik – one of the three replacements Pakistan made from the first ODI – shared 53-run stand with Asad Shafiq (13) to make sure Hafeez’s effort wasn’t in vain and Pakistan recorded their first ODI win against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground since 1985. Babar Azam (34) also added a further 72 runs with Hafeez to ease the runchase before both were caught by Josh Hazlewood in successive overs in the space of two runs.
Earlier, Amir took three wickets as Pakistan capitalized on its early breakthroughs to dismiss Australia with 10 balls to go in the innings. Smith tried to marshal the innings, grafting for 60 runs from 101 balls to top the scoring before he dragged a ball from Imad Wasim onto his stumps. Malik bowled Matthew Wade for 35 and the lower-order failed to bat out the allotted 50 overs, with Junaid running out Starc (3) and Amir following up his early dismissal of Mitch Marsh (0) to take the last two wickets with well-targeted short balls. Pakistan had Australia in trouble at 78-5 in the series-opener but Wade led the rally with his maiden ODI ton. Pakistan had Australia struggling again in Melbourne at 86-4. But this time Pakistan’s bowling attack maintained the pressure through the innings.