Abu Dhabi: Pakistan failed to hold their nerve as Australia snatched a thrilling one-run win in the third and final ODI at the Shaikh Zayed Stadium on Saturday. With this victory, Australia has also regained the top spot in the ODI rankings.
The match swung like a pendulum till the end and it was in Pakistan’s favour after No 10 batsman Zulfiqar Babar was given a lifeline despite television replays showing that he was run out by an inch.
Babar immediately made it count with a boundary and then Sohail Tanvir hit a six off Glenn Maxwell to put Pakistan on the victory path.
However, there was more drama left as Tanvir was clean bowled in the final over by Maxwell going for a needless hoist needing just two to win from five balls.
Lost opportunity
Last man Mohammad Irfan wasted the next three deliveries and was caught on the last ball by James Faulkner to hand Australia the victory.
Chasing 232 for win, Pakistan openers Ahmed Shahzad and Sarfraz Ahmed made a steady start putting on a partnership of 56 runs for the first wicket.
However, once Shahzad was bowled by left-arm orthodox bowler Xavier Doherty, Pakistan lost two more quick wickets.
From 62 for 1, Pakistan was reduced to 80 for 3 after Fawad Alam was caught by Steve Smith, who ran from first slip towards leg slip in anticipation just after the ball was delivered and the former had positioned himself for a premeditated sweep.
Sohaib Maqsood (34) and Asad Shafiq (32) resurrected the innings with a partnership of 74. Pakistan needed 72 off 94 balls with five wickets in hand when Shahid Afridi walked into bat. However, Afridi (6) put the side into deeper troubled waters by going for a wild pull and was caught by Smith off Kane Richardson.
Umar Amin and Anwar Ali kept Pakistan in the game by putting another partnership of 30 runs for the seventh wicket.
Earlier, Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul Haq chose to add another twist to the contest by deciding not to step on to the field for the ‘dead rubber’ against the Aussies, who were looking for a whitewash having won the series following their second ODI win by five wickets and the first by 93 runs.
Afridi made the most of the opportunity tossed up to him by using his bowlers well after the Australians elected to bat.
Low ticket sales
The tickets sales were low with the series already decided, but the stands that were empty at the start of the match filled up with the news spreading that Afridi was leading the side.
The ‘Boom Boom’ effect of Afridi has always drawn in crowds in the UAE and it was no different on Sunday.
He also didn’t disappoint, working his magic with the ball to claim the wickets of a well set David Warner (56) and Glen Maxwell (20).
It was a slower one and Warner ended up lobbing it straight back to Afridi. Maxwell tried to slog-sweep Afridi and holed out to Umar Amin, who ran in from deep square leg and pulled out a diving catch.
Australia’s opening partnership was broken earlier by Anwar Ali, who hasn’t impressed in this tournament. He got rid of Aaron Finch (18) with 48 onboard. Skipper George Bailey did not disturb the scorer as he sliced a length ball angling away to Shahzad off Irfan Muhammad.
The ‘visitors’ were 138 for four after 30 overs and the Pakistan bowlers thereafter stemmed the flow of runs. Everytime a partnership looked like blossoming, a wicket fell and thereafter it was a struggle for the men from ‘Down Under’ to get the score past the 200-mark.
At one stage, they were reduced to 160 for six with Tanvir getting rid of Phillip Hughes (5) leg before and Brad Haddin (2) getting run out with a brilliant flat throw from Ali.
Top scorer
Though the wickets kept falling from one end, Smith remained undeterred and he emerged as the top scorer for Australia with 77. His vigil came to an end when he decided to charge down to Tanvir in the 46th over, missed the line completely and saw it smash into the base of the stump.
Had it not been for James Faulker (33), Australia wouldn’t have reached a competitive total. Tanvir was the pick of the bowlers for Pakistan, finishing with a figure of three for 40 while Afridi finished with two for 44.
