Fiery Haris, swashbuckling Saim help Pakistan level ODI series against Aussies

ADELAIDE (Agencies): Saim Ayub slammed a swashbuckling 82 after Haris Rauf took five wickets as Pakistan demolished Australia by nine wickets to level their one-day series on Friday at the Adelaide Oval. Replying to the hosts’ modest 163 all out, thanks to pace spearhead Haris` 5-29, Pakistan reached 169-1 with a huge 141 balls to spare. It set up a series decider on Sunday at Perth Stadium after Australia won a tense first match in Melbourne by two wickets. Openers Saim and Abdullah Shafique (64 not out) started the chase slowly, pinned down by Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, with just 47 coming from the first 10 overs. But they began swinging the bat after that with Saim smacking a big six from Cummins then crunching another off Mitchell Stare. The 22-year-old was dropped by Adam Zampa on 47 and capitalised by bringing up his maiden ODI half-century in only his second match, with Abdullah joining the fun with some giant sixes of his own. Saim finally succumbed to the spin of Zampa going for another big hit, caught by Hazlewood, ending a 71-ball stay that included five fours and six sixes. Babar Azam (15 not out) joined Abdullah to see Pakistan home, ending the match with the 10th six of their innings. “The most important thing is the team won,” said Saim. “We planned to be positive and not to think about the result but the most important thing is how we play as a team. Credit goes to Haris Rauf, but the other bowlers also supported him well.”

Earlier, Haris` fiery show saw the world champions bundled out for their their lowest ODI score against them. Mohammad Rizwan, in his first series as Pakistan`s white-ball captain, was involved in six of those dismissals, equalling the world record for most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in a one day international. He could have had a seventh catch but spilled a skier from Adam Zampa late in the Australian innings. “Pve been bowling here for the Melbourne Stars, I know the pitch, I know the length,” Rauf said during the break between innings, referring to his stint in the Big Bash League. “I just wanted to get the breakthrough for Pakistan.” In the absence of Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head, who are on paternity leave, Jake Fraser-McGurk and Matt Short again opened, keen to make their mark after falling cheaply in the opening match.

The aggressive Fraser-McGurk slammed three boundaries from Naseem Shah`s first over, but was then out lbw for 13 to Shaheen Shah Afridi (3-26). Short had a huge left-off on eight, with Shaheen dropping a sitter by the ropes. But the veteran paceman made amends, tempting Short into a cover drive shortly after on 19 that Babar did well to hold. Josh Inglis hit a breezy 18 before he gloved to Rizwan off Haris, with the same pair accounting for Marnus Labuschagne (6) to leave Australia on 87-4. At the other end, Smith ground to 35 before finally falling to an edge from Mohammad Hasnain, and when Haris and Rizwan again combined to remove Aaron Hardie the hosts were 121-6. Haris struck again to bowl dangerman Glenn Maxwell for 16 and collected only his second ODI five-wicket haul by once more teaming up with Rizwan to remove Cummins (13). “It wasn`t one of our best days,” said Australia skipper Cummins. “You hope you get more than 160. They bowled well but we wanted to get a bigger score. We got some catchers in, tried to attack, but it wasn`t to be,” he added of their bowling.”

Brief scores:

Pakistan 169 for 1 (Ayub 82, Shafique 64 not out, Zampa 1-44) beat Australia 163 (Smith 35, Rauf 5-29, Afridi 3-26) by nine wickets.