Skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi praised his team after Pakistan tore through Australia’s middle and lower orders on their way to a four-wicket victory in the third and final one-day international in Lahore on Thursday, taking the series 2-1.
The tourists, who won the toss and elected to bat, made 157 in 42 overs with Pakistan reaching their modest victory target with 49 balls to spare.
Australia had looked good while Josh Inglis was at the crease. The skipper hit 65 off 71 balls to take the tourists to 119-3 but they added just 38 runs for their last seven wickets after his departure.
“I think it was a complete team effort throughout the series. The conditions were tough for the batters but every run counted and the players put in a great effort,” he said.
“Whenever you’re playing in your own conditions, you try to make the most of them.”
Afridi (3-30) removed both openers and all-rounder Cameron Green before Pakistan’s spinners took over to mop up the Australian tail on a turning pitch.
Babar Azam fired Pakistan’s response with 40 from 84 deliveries before becoming one of left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann’s three victims.
Pakistan won the first match in the series by five wickets in Rawalpindi before the tourists levelled it up with a 41-run win in the first of two matches in Lahore.
Australia, who are missing many of their top players, now move on to Bangladesh for three ODIs followed by a three-match Twenty20 series starting.
“We have some young and inexperienced guys in the dressing room so it’s a great learning experience for them,” Australia skipper Josh Inglis said.
Source: Khaleej Times