Australia win T20 series in thriller, Rauf ties bowling record

SYDNEY: Australia won the three match T20I series after beating Pakistan in the second contest on Saturday. As a consolation, Haris Rauf tied the record for most wickets for Pakistan in T20Is with 107 dismissals, as the Pakistani fast bowler took four wickets against Australia.

Australia won the toss and opted to bat first, as the Aussies hoped to win the T20 series against Pakistan.

AUSTRALIA’S INNINGS

Haris Rauf broke through for Pakistan in the fourth over, taking two wickets, beginning with Jake Fraser-McGurk who forced a shot over cover only for it to be caught by Salman Agha. Josh Inglis came to the pitch and was immediately sent off for a duck after Rauf’s delivery found a thick edge, popping the ball up to point where Sufiyan Muqeen took the catch.

Matthew Short was sent off in the fifth over on a delivery from Abbas Afridi that splayed the stumps. The Australian opener made 32 runs off 17 deliveries.

Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis brought some stability back to Australia’s innings, scoring a partnership of 30 runs off 29 balls. However, Stoinis was dismissed after he attempted a reverse sweep on a delivery from Sufiyan Muqeem, launching the ball to deep point where Abbas Afridi took the catch. It was a relief for Pakistan as they suffered two dropped catches which would have sent Stoinis off the field earlier.

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Pakistan would take another wicket in the 12th over. This time it was Maxwell who was sent off on a shorter delivery from Muqeem, which the Australian batter hit to deep mid-wicket. Sahibzada Farhan took the catch to put the pressure on Australia as they lost their fifth and most vital wicket. Maxwell made 21 runs off 21 deliveries before being sent off.

Tim David was dismissed after hitting back to back fours in the 15th over. Rauf took his third wicket of the match after Abbas Afridi caught the ball that David hit to long-on. Rauf then took his fourth wicket in the 19th over, sending off Xavier Bartlett after the Australian bowler only managed to get the toe end of his bat to the delivery, ricocheting the ball onto the leg stump.

With that last wicket, Rauf tied the record for most wickets taken in T20I’s by a Pakistani bowerl with 107, equaling Shadab Khan’s record. However, Rauf reached the record in 24 fewer innings.

Abbas Afrdi dismissed both Aaron Hardie and Spencer Johnson in the last over. Australia ended their innings with 144 runs in 20 overs, losing seven wickets in the process.

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PAKISTAN’S INNINGS

Babar Azam was dismissed on the first ball of the second over after scoring three runs off three deliveries. Azam struck the delivery from Xavier Bartlett to the square leg boundary where Nathan Ellis made the catch. Sahibzada Farhan was dismissed soon after in the very next over on a delivery from Spencer Johnson that he pulled straight to Bartlett at mid-wicket.

Pakistan skipper Mohammad Rizwan was the next to leave the field in the 10th over. After hitting a four with a slog-sweep, Rizwan tried another, but this time hit the delivery from Johnson towards Tim David, who dove forward to take the catch. Salman Agha came down to the pitch and was dismissed for a duck on the very next ball. Johnson found the edge of Agha’s bat and Australia’s wicket-keeper Josh Inglis did the rest. Pakistan lost their captain and vice captain on successive deliveries.

Usman Khan put some much needed runs on the board for Pakistan, as he made his maiden T20I half century in the 15th over. Unfortunately, he was dismissed soon after in the 16th over, on a delivery from Johnson that he pulled to Bartlett. The Pakistani batter made 52 runs off 37 deliveries, hitting four fours and one six in the process. Abbas Afridi replaced him on the field and hit a four on the first ball he faced. However, he was dismissed on the second ball he faced, giving Johnson his fifth wicket after Abbas popped up the ball to Short who made the catch.

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After Johnson got his fifth, Adam Zampa got his first, as he bowled Shaheen Shah Afridi for a duck. Zampa would get his second wicket right after, splaying the stumps again, this time dismissing Naseem Shah for a duck.

Sufiyan Muqeem was run out in the 19th over after attempting a second run. He dived back to the crease but couldn’t make it in time as Inglis whipped off the bails.

With one over to go, Pakistan needed 16 runs to win. In desperate need of runs, Rauf, who just made his way to the field, pushed for a second run, resulting in another run out which ended the match.

Pakistan lost by 13 runs. Australia won the series behind an incredible bowling performance from Spencer Johnson, who took five wickets for the Aussies. Despite losing, Haris Rauf had an impressive performance as well, taking four wickets and tying the record for most wickets taken in T20Is out of all Pakistani bowlers.