Marcus Stoinis smashed five towering sixes in an unbeaten 61 as Australia thrashed Pakistan by seven wickets in Hobart on Monday, completing a 3-0 T20 series sweep.
Chasing a modest 118, Australia reached the target in just 12 overs, delivering a reality check to Pakistan, who had earlier clinched the ODI series 2-1.
Stoinis was unstoppable, hammering five fours and five sixes in a blistering 27-ball knock.
“It’s great to finish 3-0,” said Australian skipper Josh Inglis. “When Stoinis is in that zone, he’s almost impossible to contain. One of his sixes was the biggest I’ve ever seen.”
The match at Bellerive Oval was a dead rubber after Australia secured the series with wins in Brisbane and Sydney.
Opting to bat, Pakistan got off to a flying start, reaching 62-1 before collapsing to 117 all out in 19 overs. Babar Azam top-scored with 41, while Aaron Hardie starred with the ball, taking 3-21.
Australia’s chase began aggressively, with Jake Fraser-McGurk hitting consecutive boundaries off Shaheen Shah Afridi before falling for 18. Matt Short (2) and Fraser-McGurk were dismissed early, but Inglis and Stoinis steadied the innings.
Stoinis launched a brutal assault on Haris Rauf in the ninth over, smashing 20 runs, including a monstrous six that landed on the stadium roof.
Their 55-run stand ended when Inglis was caught for 27, bringing Tim David to the crease. Stoinis, however, remained the star, bringing up his fifth T20 half-century with another towering six and steering Australia to victory.
“It’s been a tough series, but there were positives,” said Pakistan’s stand-in skipper Salman Agha, deputizing for the rested Mohammad Rizwan. “Winning the ODI series here after 22 years is a huge achievement, and these young players will learn and improve.”
Pakistan’s innings began with Sahibzada Farhan partnering Azam in Rizwan’s absence, but Farhan fell early to Spencer Johnson. Azam looked in fine touch, adding 44 with Haseebullah Khan before Adam Zampa’s spin derailed the innings.
Pakistan faltered from 72-4 at the halfway mark, with Azam bowled by Zampa and a series of quick wickets leaving them reeling. Shaheen Afridi hit the team’s only six but couldn’t prevent the tail from collapsing.
