Australia secured a dramatic 13-run victory over Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday, winning the T20I series 2-0.
Chasing a target of 148, Pakistan could only muster 134 before being bowled out in the final over.
The chase started poorly for Pakistan, losing key players Babar Azam (3) and Sahibzada Farhan (5) early, leaving them at a precarious 17/2 within the first three overs.
Captain Mohammad Rizwan then paired with Usman Khan to launch a recovery, but the partnership was short-lived. Rizwan fell for 16 off 26 balls in the 10th over, while Salman Ali Agha was dismissed for a duck.
With Pakistan at 44/4, Muhammad Irfan Khan entered at number 6 and formed a vital 58-run partnership with Usman. Their efforts pushed Pakistan past the 100-run mark, but Usman’s untimely dismissal and a flurry of quick wickets halted their progress.
Irfan fought hard, finishing unbeaten on 37 from 28 balls, but his resistance couldn’t take Pakistan across the line. Usman was the top-scorer for Pakistan with a gritty 52 off 38 balls, including five fours and a six.
Australia’s Spencer Johnson was the standout bowler, taking a remarkable five wickets, while Adam Zampa claimed two wickets.
Australia set the tone with a strong start after opting to bat first. Openers Jake Fraser-McGurk and Matthew Short smashed Pakistan’s pacers for 48 runs in just the first three overs.
Pakistan’s captain Rizwan turned to Haris Rauf, who responded brilliantly by removing both Fraser-McGurk and captain Josh Inglis (0) in his first over.
Despite this early success, Short remained a threat, top-scoring for Australia with a rapid 32 off 17 balls. However, Pakistan fought back as Abbas Afridi dismissed Short, reducing Australia to 56/3 in five overs.
All-rounders Marcus Stoinis (14) and Glenn Maxwell (21) steadied the ship with a 30-run partnership, but both fell to Sufiyan Muqeem.
Haris continued to dominate, taking two more wickets, including Tim David (18) and Xavier Bartlett (5), finishing with incredible figures of 4/22 in his four overs. Abbas also impressed with 3/17, including a brilliant final over in which he conceded just six runs and took two crucial wickets.
Sufiyan Muqeem also contributed with two wickets as Australia was restricted to 147/9 in their 20 overs.
The final match of the series will take place in Hobart on Monday.
Pakistan had won the preceding ODI series 2-1 but suffered a 29-run defeat in the rain-affected T20 opener.
