Pak vs Aus: Babar, Imam lead Pakistan towards victory over Australia

LAHORE: Pakistan won the match by six wickets against Australia, on Thursday in the second ODI at the Gaddafi Stadium to level the three-match series.

Babar Azam, the captain, and Imam-ul-Haq, the opener, both scored century to lead Pakistan achieve their best ODI run-chase.

Pakistan chased down a hard 349-run target with six balls to spare, levelling the three-match series at 1-1. Azam scored an 83-ball 114 and Haq a 97-ball 106 as Pakistan chased down a stiff 349-run target with six balls to spare.

On a flat Gaddafi Stadium field, Ben McDermott scored his first ODI century in Australia’s imposing total of 348-8.

Pakistan hasn’t beaten Australia since January 2017, when they won in Melbourne. In the interim, they had lost ten one-day internationals in a row.

Pakistan’s victory sets up an exciting final match on Saturday at the same site. On Tuesday, Australia won the first match by 88 runs in Lahore.

Haq put on a solid 118-run opening stand with Fakhar Zaman (67) off 111 balls to provide the foundation for the chase.

During his 64-ball innings, Zaman hit seven boundaries and two sixes before being bowled by Marcus Stoinis.

Haq persisted, completing his tenth century in 90 deliveries before being caught at long-on in spinner Adam Zampa’s 35th over.

Haq and Azam put up 111 for the second wicket off 92 balls.

Azam hit his 15th ODI century with a single off Cameron Green, taking 73 balls to achieve the milestone. He and Mohammad Rizwan put up 80 for the third wicket before he was caught by Nathan Ellis with 40 needed off 34 balls.

When Rizwan went for 23, Pakistan still needed 32 runs, but Khushdil Shah (27 not out) and Iftikhar (eight not out) bowled out the opposition in 49 overs.

The previous best ODI chase by Pakistan was 327 against Bangladesh in Mirpur in 2014.

After Australia were brought in to bat, McDermott made 104 off 108 balls in only his fourth ODI, while Travis Head got 89 and Marnus Labuschagne batted 59.

Stoinis, an all-rounder, put the finishing touches on the game with a quickfire 49 that included five boundaries and a six.

With the third delivery of the innings, pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi caught Aaron Finch leg-before without scoring, giving the home side a breakthrough after he missed Pakistan’s 88-run defeat in the first ODI due to a knee injury.

After that, Australia scored at will, with McDermott and Head accumulating 162 runs for the second wicket in 144 balls, hitting boundaries with ease.

Head, who hit five sixes and six fours on Tuesday, miscued a sweep off leg-spinner Zahid Mahmood and was caught by Shaheen at short fine-leg.

McDermott and Labuschagne added another 74 runs together, and during that partnership, McDermott struck spinner Khushdil for six over the long-off boundary to complete a century off 102 balls.

Mohammad Wasim, a pacer, finally caught him.

Despite Alex Carey and Cameron Green both falling for five, Sean Abbott added to the score with a 16-ball 28.

Although Shaheen completed with 4-63 and Wasim with 2-56, Pakistan’s Iftikhar Ahmed and Khushdil combined to give up 95 runs in ten overs.

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