LAHORE: Pakistan won the toss and elected to field first in the second one-day international of the three-match series against Australia at Gaddafi Stadium on Tuesday.
Captain Shaheen Afridi once again chose to put Australia into bat, sticking with the same playing XI that secured a five-wicket victory in the opening match.
Pakistan currently lead the series 1-0 after defeating Australia by five wickets in the first ODI, which was also marked as Pakistan’s 1,000th ODI appearance.
Shaheen Afridi said the team combination remains unchanged as they aim to maintain momentum and seal the series with another strong performance.
Speaking to the media after the toss, Pakistan captain Shaheen Afridi said there were no changes in the playing XI. He added that the team’s plan is to restrict Australia to a low total by applying early pressure and disciplined bowling.
More read, Pakistan secured victory against Australia in first ODI match
Earlier, Pakistan secured a five-wicket victory against Australia in the first ODI match, delivering a strong performance to take an early lead in the series.
After winning the toss, Pakistan opted to field first, a decision that proved successful as Australia were bowled out for 200 runs in 44.1 overs.
Chasing the target, Pakistan comfortably reached 201 for 5 in the 43rd over. Babar Azam led the run chase with 69 runs, while Ghazi Ghori contributed 65. Sahibzada Farhan scored 28 and Moaz Sadaqat added 8 runs.
For Australia, Nathan Ellis took two wickets, while Marnus Labuschagne, Matthew Kuhnemann and Tanveer Sangha claimed one wicket each.
Making his ODI debut, Pakistan spinner Arafat Minhas starred with the ball by taking five wickets. Abrar Ahmed claimed two wickets, while Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Salman Ali Agha picked up one wicket each.
