Lahore (Sports Desk): Pakistan defeated Australia by 4 wickets in the third and decisive One-Day International played in Lahore, clinching the three-match series 2-1.
In the match played at Gaddafi Stadium, Australia won the toss and elected to bat first. However, a superb performance by the Pakistani bowlers saw the entire Australian team bowled out for 157 runs.
For Australia, captain Josh Inglis top-scored with 65 runs, while Marnus Labuschagne and Alex Carey scored 19 runs each. Adam Zampa was the only other batter to reach double figures with 10 runs, while the remaining batters failed to make a significant contribution.
For Pakistan, Shaheen Shah Afridi claimed three wickets, while Shadab Khan and Abrar Ahmed took two wickets each. Haris Rauf picked up one wicket.
Chasing a target of 158, Pakistan did not get off to a strong start as Sahibzada Farhan was dismissed for just 6 runs. However, Moaz Sadaqat played an aggressive knock of 27 valuable runs.
Batting was not easy on a spinner-friendly pitch, and wickets continued to fall at regular intervals. Ghazi Ghori returned to the pavilion after scoring 8 runs, while Salman Ali Agha and Babar Azam added 33 runs for the fourth wicket.
Babar Azam batted responsibly and scored 40 runs off 85 balls, but his dismissal at the team total of 112 brought excitement back into the match. At the same score, Arafat Minhas also lost his wicket.
In a difficult situation, Shadab Khan and Abdul Samad produced an excellent display, putting together an unbeaten 49-run partnership for the seventh wicket to guide the team to victory. Shadab Khan remained not out on 29, while Abdul Samad finished unbeaten on 18.
For Australia, Matthew Kuhnemann took three wickets, while Nathan Ellis, Matthew Short, and Matt Renshaw claimed one wicket each.
With this victory, Pakistan not only won the decisive match but also secured the ODI series against Australia, delivering an impressive overall performance.