Pakistan and Australia are against each other for the one list time in the ongoing historic tour. Both sides will lock horns in the final ODI of the series at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Saturday. Home captain Babar Azam has won the toss and opted to bowl against Aaron Finch & Co.
The three-match series is tied at 1-1 after Australia won the first by 88 runs and Pakistan the second by six wickets — both played in Lahore. The teams made one change each from the second match – with Pakistan bringing in batter Asif Ali for Saud Shakil and Australia including pacer Jason Behrendorff in place of spinner Mitchell Swepson.
Earlier, on Thursday, Azam hit an 83-ball 114 and Haq notched a 97-ball 106 as Pakistan chased down a stiff 349-run target with six balls to spare to level the series. Ben McDermott cracked a maiden ODI hundred in Australia’s imposing total of 348-8 on a flat Gaddafi Stadium pitch.
Shaheen finished with 4-63 and Wasim took 2-56, but Pakistan’s Iftikhar Ahmed and Khushdil conceded 95 runs in ten overs between them.
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The victory was Pakistan’s first over Australia since Melbourne in January 2017. In between, they had lost 10 consecutive one-day internationals. Pakistan’s previous highest ODI chase was 327 achieved against Bangladesh at Mirpur in 2014.
Pakistan (Playing XI): Babar Azam (captain), Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Zahid Mahmood, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Junior, Asif Ali.
Australia (Playing XI): Aaron Finch (captain), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Ben McDermott, Marcus Stoinis, Jason Behrendorff, Adam Zampa.
Umpires: Alem Dar (PAK) and Rashid Riaz (PAK)
Tv umpire: Ahsan Raza (PAK)
Match referee: Mohammad Javed Malik
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