Pakistan defeated Australia by eight wickets in the third and decisive ODI, securing the series 2-1. This victory marks the first time in 22 years that Pakistan has won a bilateral ODI series against Australia on their home soil. In the final ODI, Pakistan’s fast bowlers dominated, bundling out the hosts for just 140 runs. Pakistan then chased down the target in just 26.5 overs, thanks to a strong start by Saim Ayub (42) and Abdullah Shafique (37).
Series Win in Australia After 22 Years
In 2002, Pakistan played their first bilateral ODI series in Australia and won the three-match series 2-1. Similar to this recent series, Pakistan lost the first match but made a remarkable comeback by winning the next two games, with bowlers playing a crucial role in those victories as well.
Now, 22 years later, history has repeated itself. Under the captaincy of Mohammad Rizwan, Pakistan claimed the series in a similar fashion. In contrast, Pakistan had faced a 5-0 whitewash in the 2009-10 ODI series in Australia and a 4-1 defeat in the five-match series in 2016-17.
Heroes of Pakistan’s Historic Victory
Fast bowlers Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi, and Naseem Shah were the heroes of this historic win. Rauf, in particular, was outstanding, taking 10 wickets across the three matches. He dismissed Glenn Maxwell in all three games and prevented him from scoring in two of them. Shaheen took eight wickets in the series, while Naseem claimed five.
The excellent work of the bowlers was carried forward by the young openers Abdullah Shafique and Saim Ayub. Ayub was the top scorer for Pakistan in the series with 125 runs in three matches, while Shafique contributed 113 runs in the series.
