The deciding match of the ODI series between Pakistan and Australia will be contested today.
LAHORE – Pakistan and Australia will clash in the final One Day International at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore today (Thursday), with the three-match series tied 1-1.
The series was decided after Australia fought back in the second ODI on Tuesday to win by 41 runs, level the contest and set up a winner-takes-all contest.
Both teams now have a chance to end the series with a win. The match also serves as an important opportunity for Pakistan to review the developing ODI squad as the team continues its preparations for the 2027 World Cup.
Australia beat Pakistan by 41 runs in the second ODI, with Nathan Ellis taking four wickets and Matthew Short dismissing three batsmen to bowl Pakistan out for 190 in 44 overs while chasing a total of 232 runs.
Earlier, Pakistan bowlers restricted Australia to 231 runs for 9 wickets, captain Shaheen Shah Afridi took 8-1-36-3, Arafat Minhas 10-2-27-2, Haris Rauf 10-1-49-2 and Abrar Ahmed took two wickets for 34 runs in 10 overs.
Shaheen removed Alex Carey on the first ball of the innings, while Abrar and Arafat removed Short and Libeschen respectively for 51 runs in the first 10.4 overs. Captain Josh Ingles (51, 74b, 5x4s), batting at three, and No. 5 Cameron Green (53, 92b, 1×4, 2x6s) scored valuable half-centuries to put Australia on course for a fighting toll.
Towards the end of the innings, the visitors were helped by Matthew Renshaw’s (3x4s) 43 off one ball and Oliver Peck’s 31 off 32 balls, which included a four and two sixes, as they extended their innings from 184-6 in 43.2 overs to 2509-2509.
Mohammad Ghazi Ghori, Shadab Khan and Arafat Minhas led the rebuilding effort before Pakistan reeled from an early setback and collapsed to 78-6 in 16.3 overs. The slide for the hosts began when opening batsman Moaz Sadaqat was bowled by man-of-the-match Ellis on the third ball of the innings.
Sahibzada Farhan took his only wicket with Matt Kuhneman in the next over. Babar Azam scored 16 off one ball with two fours before being dismissed for a leg-beaver wicket by Ellis as the scoreboard read 33 for three in the fifth over.
Short then struck twice in quick succession, sending back Salman Ali Agha for seven and Abdul Samad, taking Pakistan to 58 for five.
Ghazi Ghori provided some resistance with a 48-ball 37 with five fours before being bowled by Adam Zampa as the Green Shirts slumped to 78 for six in the 17th over.
Arafat then scored 33 off 43 balls with four fours to add 59 runs for the seventh wicket with top scorer Shadab before being caught leg before wicket by Ellis on the last delivery of the 32nd over.
After that, Shadab played an innings of 71 runs off 104 balls. His second-highest ODI score, a four and three sixes, before captain Josh Ingles was stumped by Tanveer Singha as Pakistan collapsed from 41 runs down.
For Australia, Ellis completed return figures of 9-1-33-4, while Short took three for 36 from his eight overs.
Pakistan: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Muaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Naseem Shah, Rohail Nazir (wicketkeeper), Sahibzada Khan, Sofia Khan, Sufyan Khan, and Shahid Khan. residing
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