Pakistan Clinch Series After Holding Nerve in Low-Scoring Battle

Pakistan beat Australia by 4 wickets in the 3rd ODI to win the series 2-1. Chased a modest target of 157 with 49 balls to spare, but lost 6 wickets along the way.

Pakistan - in a surprising move - produced spin-heavy surfaces for this series, which was supposed to test their player pool ahead of the next year's ODI World Cup in southern Africa and the pitch for the last match offered extra bite to the spinners as the ball turned and bounced sharply, making run-scoring a difficult proposition, especially during the chase.

Australia Collapse

Australia won the toss and batted first, made 157 all out in 42 overs on a turning Lahore pitch. Looked solid at 119/3 with captain Josh Inglis 65 off 71, then collapsed to add just 38 runs for their last 7 wickets. Shaheen Afridi 3/30 removed both openers and Cameron Green. Pakistan’s spinners then mopped up the tail.

The chase was anchored by Babar Azam who made a gutsy 40. He hit only three boundaries - two off Matt Kuhnemann and the other off Ellis - in his 84-ball vigil at the crease. Ellis, who had removed him in the previous two matches, tested his defences with his variations, but Babar had done his homework and seemed to be picking his cutters and slower-ones from the hand rather than the pitch.

Babar Azam 40 off 84 anchored the chase before falling to Matt Kuhnemann, who took 3 wickets. Pakistan wobbled to 6 wickets down, but held their nerve to get home with ease in the end.

They were dragged over the line by Shadab Khan, who Pakistan feel is their next batting allrounder, as he made an unbeaten 29 off 42 in an unbeaten partnership of 49 with Abdul Samad.

Australia had been skittled for 157 in 42 overs, losing 7 for 38 from 119 for 3, as Shaheen Shah Afridi took three wickets alongside two apiece for Abrar Ahmed and Shadab after Inglis decided to bat having comfortably defended 232 in the previous match.

Whether producing rank-turners for these three games was the best preparation for the 2027 World Cup which will be played in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia is debatable. That Pakistan have something to celebrate after their poor ODI and Test tour of Bangladesh and a hapless outing in the T20 World Cup will motivate this side.

Pakistan won the 1st ODI in Rawalpindi by 5 wickets. Australia hit back with a 41-run win in the 2nd ODI in Lahore. This 3rd ODI decider was the low-scoring scrap where Pakistan’s bowlers and Babar’s grit saw them through.

Bottom line: After Inglis’ 65, Australia collapsed to 157. Pakistan lost 6 wickets chasing but Babar’s 40 and calm heads got them over the line by 4 wickets to seal the ODI series 2-1 in Lahore.