2nd ODI
Australia were bowled out for 163 runs and Haris Rauf has claimed a five-wicket haul
Australia scored 163 all out in 35 overs vs Pakistan.
Haris Rauf (5-29) claimed his second five-wicket haul in ODIs, spearheading a fiery bowling performance that saw Pakistan bowl Australia out for just 163 in the second ODI at the Adelaide Oval.
Opting to bowl on a surface that had a tinge of green, Pakistan’s pacers, led by Rauf, exploited the pitch’s pace and bounce to great effect.
With movement on offer throughout, Australia’s batters struggled to cope with the challenge.
Steve Smith (35) was the only batter to reach the 20s, highlighting the hosts’ poor batting effort.
At the halfway mark, it didn’t seem like things would unfold this way, as Australia had made a solid start.
Matthew Short drove two classy boundaries off Shaheen Afridi’s first over, and Jake Fraser-McGurk followed with three boundaries off Naseem Shah’s opening over, taking the score to 20/0 in just two overs.
However, Afridi and Naseem soon found their rhythm and began making inroads.
Afridi struck first, getting Fraser-McGurk LBW with a trademark inswinger, and Naseem could have had Short in his next over had Afridi not dropped a sitter at deep square leg.
Smith, like the openers, started well with a couple of boundaries, but Short soon departed, drilling a cut shot straight to point.
The remainder of the first Powerplay saw no further damage as Smith and Josh Inglis attempted to rebuild.
Both players played some attractive strokes, and it seemed like a sizeable total was on the cards with the pitch playing well.
But Rauf’s introduction changed everything.
He immediately created chances, with Smith edging a cut shot to backward point, only for Saim Ayub to drop the catch.
Bowling a hard length at extreme pace, Rauf had Australia on the back foot, and he struck again in his second over, getting Inglis to edge a skiddy shortish ball down the leg side.
Marnus Labuschagne followed soon after, nicking a cracking delivery from Rauf that held its line off the pitch.
Unlike previous Adelaide surfaces, this pitch didn’t ease out, and Pakistan’s pacers kept the pressure on throughout, exploiting the movement on offer.
Smith, who had played some glorious shots—including a pick-up six over deep backward square leg—perished to a loose short-and-wide delivery from Mohammad Hasnain, edging behind.
Smith’s wicket was a major blow to Australia, who could never recover from there.
Aaron Hardie and Glenn Maxwell tried to stabilize the innings but were uncomfortable at the crease.
Their muddled approach, with too many overs left to be spent cautiously, led to their dismissals.
Rauf’s second spell saw both fall, as Pakistan continued to chip away at the wickets.
Only a late flurry from Pat Cummins and Adam Zampa prevented Australia from being bowled out for a total well under 150.
For Pakistan, Shaheen Afridi (3-26) was the perfect foil to Rauf’s brilliance, while Naseem bowled well but didn’t get the rewards he deserved.
Skipper Mohammad Rizwan enjoyed a field day behind the stumps, taking six catches and coming close to becoming the first wicketkeeper in ODI history to effect seven dismissals—only for him to drop a skier off Zampa towards the end.
Australia’s total is well below par, but with their potent pace attack and a surface that still offers something for the quicks, they may still feel they’re in the game.
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