Australia staged a strong comeback in the ODI series after the opening defeat, levelling the contest with a four-wicket haul from Nathan Ellis that proved decisive in a tight run chase turnaround. On a Lahore wicket that played low and slow, the visitors found batting difficult at times, yet their bowling discipline carried them to a comfortable 41-run victory. Chasing a target, Pakistan were left chasing shadows as wickets arrived at crucial moments, while Australia’s late-innings push ensured the pressure stayed on.
Australia’s innings began disastrously when they were sent in, with Alex Carey dismissed on the first ball. The early breakthrough set the tone for the surface: the ball came on slowly and gripped, with Shaheen Afridi getting enough purchase to beat Carey’s timing as he could only manage an inside edge onto his stumps. Josh Inglis tried to counter the pressure with a few well-timed boundaries, but Abrar Ahmed’s entrance shifted the momentum, as Matthew Short chipped one back to the bowler. Marnus Labuschagne then attempted an aggressive sweep and fell for a low score, leaving Australia struggling at 51 for three.
Inglis and Cameron Green steadied the innings with a valuable stand that lifted Australia out of trouble. Green played more cautiously while Inglis looked to keep the scoreboard moving, and the partnership featured the right balance of rotation and occasional boundary-making. Green finally broke through with a six off Shadab Khan, after reaching a stage where he was on 15 from 35 balls, but Pakistan struck immediately at the other end: Inglis was undone by the low bounce that had troubled batters throughout the innings. With the skipper walking back after scoring 51, Australia needed their middle order to add substance in the latter half.
Matt Renshaw and Oliver Peake then contributed significantly, making sure Australia’s total stayed competitive for the conditions. Renshaw and Green adopted a steady approach, taking singles and rotating strike, with only intermittent boundary opportunities. Green reached his half-century off 85 deliveries, but his innings ended with a little more than ten overs remaining. Even though the final phase produced fewer boundaries, Peake’s late surge—featuring a six and a four in the last over—helped propel Australia beyond 230, a platform that mattered hugely as Pakistan also struggled with the bat.
Pakistan’s chase started in the same ominous style as Carey’s dismissal, with Maaz Sadaqat falling bowled in the opening over in a similar fashion. At the other end, Matthew Kuhnemann used the new ball effectively, striking with Sahibzada Farhan after Adam Zampa took an excellent catch. Babar Azam tried to regain control with a couple of boundaries, but Ellis ensured the breakthrough continued by trapping him leg-before-wicket.
As the Powerplay progressed, wickets kept tumbling: Short struck next when Salman Agha was dismissed, adding another layer of pressure. Abdul Samad followed soon after, edging a delivery to Short for another key dismissal. When Ghazi Ghori failed to connect a sweep against Zampa and his stumps were rearranged, the chase appeared to be slipping beyond Pakistan’s reach, leaving them at 78 for six.
Still, Shadab Khan and Arafat Minhas refused to capitulate and put together a partnership that briefly injected life into the chase. Their stand proved crucial, but it was eventually broken when Ellis was brought back into the attack. Shadab then went after Green, clearing the ropes with a couple of sixes and reaching his fifty, while Shaheen Afridi also adopted an aggressive mindset, striking two fours to spark panic in the Australian camp. With Pakistan suddenly needing only 64, Short delivered a further turning blow as Shaheen edged one behind.
In the end, Shadab’s resistance could not be sustained as Ellis returned to claim his fourth wicket of the evening. Tanveer Sangha completed the job by ending Shadab’s 104-ball stay, sealing a well-deserved win for Australia.
Brief scores: Australia 231/9 in 50 overs (Cameron Green 53, Josh Inglis 51; Shaheen Afridi 3-36, Arafat Minhas 2-27) beat Pakistan 190 in 44.1 overs (Shadab Khan 71; Nathan Ellis 4-33; Matthew Short 3-36) by 41 runs
