Pakistan Beat Australia To Seal ODI Series 2-1 With Four-Wicket Win
Pakistan clinched the three-match ODI series against Australia 2-1 after securing a hard-fought four-wicket victory in the third and final match at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on Thursday. The win marked Pakistan’s third consecutive bilateral ODI series triumph over the six-time world champions.
A disciplined bowling display laid the foundation for Pakistan’s success as they bundled Australia out for 157 in 42 overs after the visitors elected to bat first. Shaheen Shah Afridi struck with just the second ball of the innings, dismissing opener Matthew Short for a duck and putting Australia under immediate pressure.
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Australia attempted to rebuild through captain Josh Inglis and Marnus Labuschagne, who added 46 runs for the second wicket. Labuschagne was run out for 19 following a direct hit from Arafat Minhas, while Inglis continued to anchor the innings. He later shared a 52-run partnership with Alex Carey before Haris Rauf removed Carey for 19.
The decisive moment came when Shaheen returned to dismiss both Inglis and Cameron Green in quick succession. Inglis top-scored with 65 off 71 deliveries, hitting eight fours and a six, while Green managed only seven runs.
Abrar Ahmed then tightened Pakistan’s grip on the match by removing Matt Renshaw and Cooper Connolly, while Shadab Khan claimed two wickets, including Adam Zampa. Australia’s innings ended at 157 after Nathan Ellis was run out on the final ball of the 42nd over.
Shaheen was the standout bowler with figures of 3-30 in eight overs. Abrar Ahmed returned 2-19, Shadab Khan claimed 2-28 and Haris Rauf picked up one wicket.
Chasing a modest target of 158, Pakistan made an uneasy start when opener Sahibzada Farhan was dismissed for six by Nathan Ellis in the third over. Maaz Sadaqat counterattacked with a brisk 27 off 26 balls, striking five boundaries, before falling leg-before to Matthew Short.
Babar Azam then played a patient anchoring role, building useful partnerships with Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Salman Ali Agha and Arafat Minhas to keep Pakistan’s chase on track. The former captain top-scored with 40 off 84 deliveries, including three fours, before being dismissed by Matthew Kuhnemann in the 30th over.
Pakistan’s position became precarious when Arafat Minhas was dismissed for nine shortly after Babar’s departure, leaving the hosts struggling at 112-6.
However, Shadab Khan and Abdul Samad produced a match-winning unbeaten partnership of 49 runs for the seventh wicket. Shadab remained unbeaten on 29 from 42 balls with two boundaries, while Samad contributed an unbeaten 18 from 30 deliveries as Pakistan reached 161-6 in 41.5 overs.
For Australia, Matthew Kuhnemann was the most successful bowler, finishing with figures of 3-38, while Nathan Ellis, Matthew Short and Matt Renshaw claimed one wicket each.
Shaheen Shah Afridi was named Player of the Match for his decisive bowling spell, while Arafat Minhas received the Player of the Series award.
The series began with Pakistan winning the opening ODI by five wickets in Rawalpindi before Australia levelled the contest with a 41-run victory in Lahore. Pakistan bounced back in the decider to secure the series 2-1 and continue their impressive ODI record against Australia.
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