PAKISTAN RECORD FIRST WIN

PAKISTAN beat Australia by six wickets in the second one-day international at the Melbourne Cricket Ground yesterday, their first ODI win on Australian soil for 12 years. The win was also Pakistan’s first ODI victory at the MCG since 1985 and levels the fivematch series at 1-1. Australian captain Steve Smith won the toss and chose to bat first on a flat-looking wicket, but Pakistan’s opening pair Mohammad Amir (3-47) and Junaid Khan (2-40) bowled superbly to help restrict the home side to 220 all out. They were backed up by left arm spinner Imad Wasim (2-37), whose 10-over spell in the middle of the innings tied the batsmen down and slowed the scoring. Australia went into the match without a recognised spinner and were made to pay the price on a two-paced wicket that favoured the slower bowlers. Their seam attack did its best to restrict the Pakistan batting, with Josh Hazelwood (0-32) the most impressive despite not taking a wicket, and James Faulkner (2-35) effective with his changes of pace. But the other bowlers were ineffective and expensive, with off-spinner Travis Head going for 23 runs off his 2.4 overs. Smith (60) brought up a hard-fought

50 from 91 balls with only two boundaries and no sixes, but with eight overs to go he got an inside edge onto his pads and then stumps to give Imad his second wicket. There was a steady procession of wickets until Faulkner skied a ball to point off Amir to leave Pakistan needing only 221 to level the series.