Haris Rauf took five wickets for 29 runs with his relentless pace as Australia was bowled out for 163 in the second one-day international against Pakistan on Friday.
Rauf, who nearly pulled off victory for Pakistan in the first game at Melbourne Cricket Ground on Monday, found the outside edges of the bat by consistently by hitting the right lengths.
Captain Mohammad Rizwan took five catches — four off Rauf’s bowling — and could have had a sixth had he not dropped a top-edge off Adam Zampa (18) before Australia was dismissed in 35 overs.
Shaheen Shah Afridi (3-26) provided the Pakistan breakthrough inside the first power play after Rizwan won the toss and elected to field. Jake Fraser-McGurk hit three crisp boundaries on the off side in Naseem Shah’s first over and provided Australia a rollicking start before Afridi’s twin strike pushed back Australia.
Afridi dropped Matt Short at deep fine leg when the ball burst through his hands to the boundary but the left-arm fast bowler made amends when he had Short caught at covers after trapping Fraser-McGurk plumb leg before wicket.
Afridi ended Australia’s below-par innings when Zampa played a full ball back onto his stumps. Zampa flicked Naseem Shah for a six and a four in an over which enabled the home team to cross the 150-run mark.
Rauf, who took 3-67 in the first match before Australia emerged with a two-wicket win, then sliced through the middle-order with only Steve Smith scoring 35 off 48 balls before he too chased a wide short ball of Mohammad Hasnain and edged behind the wicket.
Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood replaced Sean Abbott in the only change Australia made from the team which edged Pakistan in the first game.
Mitchell Starc, Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Cummins and Hazlewood all will be rested for the final game of the series on Sunday at Perth ahead of five-test series against India, starting Nov. 22 in Perth.
Wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis was named interim captain for the last ODI at Perth. He will also lead the side in next week’s three T20s against Pakistan with Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head away on paternity leave.
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