Pakistan turned heads after clinching the historic ODI series against mighty Australia. Despite not being favored to win, the Men in Green defied expectations and rocked Australia in the third ODI to seal the series 2-1 on Australian soil.
Pakistan thrash Australia in 3rd ODI to seal the series 2-1
After a narrow loss in the first ODI, Pakistan bounced back strongly in the following two matches. In the second ODI, they convincingly defeated a full-strength Australian team by nine wickets. Pakistan's bowlers were instrumental in this victory, bowling out Australia for a modest total of 163. Saim Ayub's brilliant knock of 82 ensured a comfortable chase.
Pakistan's bowlers continued their impressive performance throughout the series. Haris Rauf led the attack with 10 wickets, while Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah also contributed significantly with eight and five wickets, respectively.
In the final ODI, Australia rested several of their key players, but their batting still struggled against the relentless Pakistani bowling attack. Australia were bowled out for a meager 140, and Pakistan's task was simply to navigate their way to victory, inching closer to a historic series win.
Pakistan's batting lineup continued their dominant form in the final ODI. Saim Ayub and Abdullah Shafique laid the foundation with a solid opening stand of 84 runs. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan then finished the job, ensuring a comfortable eight-wicket victory for Pakistan.
Meanwhile, former England star cricketer Kevin Pietersen reacted to Pakistan's historic series win over Australia. While congratulating the team on their achievement, Pietersen also urged them to prioritise cricket over politics. He emphasised the importance of focusing on the game and avoiding distractions that could hinder their performance.
"Pakistan WIN in Australia. This is the reason they HAVE TO sort out all the negative ‘noise’ and help the talent show off their skills. Put the politics aside and let the cricket do the talking!" Pietersen wrote on X.
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This historic win marks Pakistan's first bilateral ODI series victory over Australia in Australia since 2002. It was also a momentous occasion for Mohammad Rizwan, who captained the side for the first time in an ODI series. Rizwan expressed his delight at the team's performance and dedicated the win to the Pakistani fans.
"Special moment for me, the nation will be very happy today, we didn't perform as per expectations in the last couple of years. I'm the captain only for the toss and presentations - everyone gives me suggestions on the field, the batting group and the bowling group. All the credit to the bowlers, Australia in Australia isn't easy, the conditions suit their style of playing, but the bowlers were outstanding. Also credit to the two openers, they made the chases easy. They (fans) don't care a lot about the results, but the people back home are always behind us and I want to dedicate this victory to them," said Rizwan after the match.
