Aussies keen to maintain the habit

CRICKET: On the cusp of Australia’s best ODI winning streak since lifting the World Cup in 2015, Justin Langer’s team are determined to keep the foot down.

Written off as World Cup contenders at the start of the year, Australia turned the corner in India and have now recorded five wins on the trot.

The visitors, who could be boosted by the return of bowling spearhead Pat Cummins, can take an unassailable 3-0 series lead if they defeat Pakistan in Abu Dhabi tonight.

Australia haven’t strung together six consecutive one-day victories since 2015, when a nine-match win streak included their MCG mauling of New Zealand in the World Cup final.

“It’s been building, building, building but we can’t get relaxed,” in-form opener Usman Khawaja said.

“If we keep doing the basics well and playing the way we did those last two games and playing the way we did the back end of India, it would be pretty hard to beat us.

“We want to be really clinical and we’ve got to keep doing it over and over again, winning’s a habit so hopefully we can make it a habit.”

Australia, who haven’t won consecutive ODI series overseas since 2016, named an unchanged XI for the second clash with Pakistan but Jhye Richardson’s dislocated shoulder means they will be forced to change a winning side.

Cummins, Australia’s leading wicket-taker in the recent series against India, has been on restricted duties since landing in the UAE. Langer may also be keen to give Jason Behrendorff and Kane Richardson a chance to shine.

Behrendorff and Richardson were set to be left out of Australia’s World Cup squad but they could yet make the cut depending on how Richardson, Mitchell Starc (torn pec) and Josh Hazlewood (back) recover from injuries.