Pakistan cruised to a stunning nine-wicket win over Australia to level their ODI series and set up a decider in Perth on Sunday.
Australia suffered a home humiliation in Adelaide when Pakistan, led by new captain Mohammad Rizwan, smashed the hosts for 163.
Rizwan equaled the record for most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in an ODI innings with six as the hosts bundled out in 35 overs.
Fast bowler Haris Rauf was Pakistan’s star with the ball, taking a brilliant 5-29 before Saeem Ayub scored 82 and Abdullah Shafique made 64 not out in the chase.
Ayub hit six sixes and five fours and former skipper Babar Azam eventually got the win by pulling a six off Adam Zampa in the 27th over.
Pakistan’s hopes of a series win will further boost Australia, who are resting five of their stars – Mitchell Starc, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood – for the start of the five-Test series against India from November 22.
Wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis will fill in for Cummins as interim captain for Sunday’s Perth ODI.
How Pakistan pulled off a memorable away win
Ayub and Shafique had been criticized for low scores in the Test matches, but both tamed Australia’s pace attack in a 137-run win after Pakistan stuck to the pair in the 50-over format.
Ayub took his time against Hazlewood and Starc before regaining his confidence and hitting Cummins, Starc and Aaron Hardy for sixes and smashing Zampa for two maximums.
Pakistan’s Abdullah Shafiq (left) is congratulated by Babar Azam after scoring a half-century against Australia.
The left-hander, who made his ODI debut at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Monday, was denied just short of his half-century when Zampa went to third man, but he got used to short third man just as he looked. defined by a century.
Earlier, Rauf, who almost claimed victory for Pakistan in the first match before they were eventually bowled out by two wickets, consistently found the outside edges of the bats, hitting the right lengths.
Australia’s Adam Zampa misses a catch as the hosts fail to deny Pakistan a famous win
Shaheen Shah Afridi (3-26) made progress in the first powerplay, getting Jake Fraser-McGurk (13), who hit three crisp boundaries in the first over off Nasim Shah, and Matthew Short (19).
Afridi dropped Shorty at deep fine leg as the ball burst through his arms towards the boundary, but the left-armer quickly rectified his waistline as Shorty was caught at cover after trapping Fraser-McGurk lbw.
Afridi ended Australia’s subpar innings when Zampa played the full ball back onto his stumps.
Rauf cut through the middle with Smith scoring 35 off 48 balls before he chased down a wide ball from Muhammad Hasnain and edged behind Rizwan.
