LAHORE: Fifties from Josh Inglis and Cameron Green and four wickets from Nathan Ellis led Australia to a 41-run win in the second ODI of the three-match series against Pakistan at the Gaddafi Stadium.
The win helped Australia level the series against Pakistan at 1-1, with the third and final ODI to be played at the same venue on Thursday.
Chasing 232, the Green Shirts were bowled out for 190 in 44 overs despite a brave half-century from Shatab Khan.
With just 6 runs in two overs, losing both openers Mas Sadaq (zero) and Sahibzada Farhan (three), Pakistan began to unravel.
Following an early setback, veteran batsman Babur Assam showed signs of a counter-attack by hitting two fours but fell victim to Nathan Ellis in the fifth over after scoring 16 off one ball.
Pakistan suffered two more setbacks in quick succession as Salman Ali Agha and Abdul Samad perished cheaply for seven and two runs respectively.
Wicket keeper batsman Kazi Cory, who was lonesome on the scoreboard during the slump, was finally cleaned up by Adam Zamba in the 17th over and pulled away with 37 off 48 balls with the help of 5 fours.
With the scoreboard at 78/6, Arafat Minhas joined Shadab Khan in the middle and the two all-rounders batted smartly to put up a crucial 59-run partnership for the seventh wicket.
Minhas scored 33 runs off 43 balls with the help of 4 fours.
Shadab then put on 31 runs with captain Shaheen Shah Afridi. He scored 11 before being caught short by Mathew in the 37th over.
The experienced all-rounder then scored a completely one-sided 21 for the ninth wicket, when Harris Rauff was ducked off 15 balls by Nathan Ellis off the final delivery of the 44th over.
Shadab was dismissed by Tanveer Sangha on the very first ball of the next over, giving the visitors a hard-fought victory. He was Pakistan’s top scorer with 71 runs off 104 balls with 3 sixes and a four.
Ellis sparked Australia’s bowling with four for 33 in his nine overs, followed by Short’s three-wicket haul, while Matthew Kuhneman, Adam Zamba and Sangha chipped in with a scalp each.
Batting first, the tourists scored 231/9 in 50 overs thanks to half-centuries from Josh Inglis and Cameron Green.
However, Australia got off to a poor start to their innings as Pakistan skipper Shaheen clean-sheeted left-arm opener Alex Carey (nil) on the very first delivery of the innings.
Carey’s dismissal on the first delivery of the innings allowed fellow wicketkeeper-batsman and captain Inglis to walk out and bat at number 3.
Inglis started a good recovery for Australia as he added 46 runs for the second wicket with Matthew Short, who scored a cautious 15 off 24 balls, before falling to Abrar Ahmed in the eighth over.
Australia suffered another 17-ball setback when Minhas dismissed Marnes Lapuzagne (five), reducing their total to 51/3.
Following successive dismissals, Green joined Inglis in the middle and the duo batted sensibly to put together a crucial 51-run partnership that saw the former reach his fifth ODI half-century.
However, the Australian skipper was soon dismissed by Minhas and was out again after scoring 51 off 74 balls with the help of 5 fours.
Green, on the other hand, put on another crucial partnership for Australia – 65 runs for the sixth wicket with Matt Renshaw – until he eventually succumbed to Abbrar in the 40th over.
The all-rounder was Australia’s top scorer with 53 off 92 balls with 2 sixes and a four.
Short was cleaned up by Harris Rauf after 21 balls when he had scored 43 runs with the help of three fours off one ball.
Shaheen dealt another blow to Australia’s batting campaign in the 47th over when he bowled Matthew Kuhneman (five) and struck again in the last over to dismiss Nathan Ellis.
Meanwhile, batting all-rounder Oliver Peak added valuable runs to Australia’s total with 31 off a ball.
Captain Shaheen bowled well for Pakistan as he took 3 wickets for 36 runs in his eight overs, followed by Minhas, Rauf and Abrar with 2 wickets each.