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5:10 pm local time (2:40 pm IST): The Pakistani squad poses with the trophy in front of the cameras and Australia look dejected. Is this sign for things to come, come the Champions Trophy in February? Time will tell for sure! But this also means that international cricket Down Under can now focus on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, with massive implications of it in the ongoing World Test Championship cycle. As for now, this is the pair of Sourabh and Bidipto taking your leave. But not to forget, we have a couple of T20I games coming up at around the same time tonight. New Zealand take on Sri Lanka in the island nation while South Africa host India for the second game of the 4-match series. Be sure to catch us for those, friends! Keep following Sportskeeda, too!
Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan captain): This is a special moment for me! Our nation will be really happy today, because we had to wait for this for a couple of years. I think I'm a captain for the presentation, because I want all the players to get involved and have a say. I will credit our bowlers for this series win. But then, Abdullah Shafique and Saim Ayub have given us two superb starts to make our work easier. The fans are just incredible! Whether we win, whether we lose, they are always by our side!
Josh Inglis (Australia captain): Really disappointing. We were really outplayed after the first game. We would have liked a lot more runs. With the bat, it is really up to individuals on how to approach. Good to captain the side in front of my home at Perth but really disappointed with the result.
Haris Rauf (Player of the Match & Player of the Series): It means a lot for Pakistan. We struggled a lot in the last couple of months but this means a lot. We play for the fans, they come to support us everytime. Thanks to everyone around the world. We practiced a lot in the nets, we (the bowlers) talked about where to bowl and those things worked. Everyone knows that Maxwell is a superstar, a legend and I was lucky to get him out thrice
Huge support for Pakistan in the stands, the players are now going all around the ground to thank their supporters. A lap of honor around the Optus which is buzzing with excitement. These are unprecedented scenes and something that Pakistan cricket, or World cricket in general, needed
4:53 pm local time (2:23 pm IST):
Pakistan win by 8 wickets with 23 overs and a ball to spare! Doing so, they win the 3-match series 2-1!
It did not look like a tough chase to begin with, and Pakistan have made sure that the job got done without much of a hiccup! They did not lose more than 2 wickets and did not take even 27 overs to finish it, on a pitch which offered quite a bit to the pace bowlers.
The opening partnership between Saim Ayub and Abdullah Shafique lasted more than 17 overs and scored 84 runs. Yes it was laden with a bit of luck when Adam Zampa dropped Shafique at fine-leg, but on the whole, even after some plays-and-misses, the duo steadied the ship and took the visitors out of harm's way.
It was surprising not to see local boy Lance Morris now bowl in the first power play! Because he bowled fast and with venom, taking 2 wickets in one over to bring two new batters to the crease.
But that was all the hosts could do. Babar Azam and skipper Mohammad Rizwan ensured that they took Pakistan home with an impressive 50-run stand for the 3rd wicket. While Babar struck 3 boundaries, including 2 glorious on-drives, Rizwan smashed a boundary and a couple of sixes by chipping down the wicket.
This is Pakistan's first ODI series win in Australia since 2002! So, it means a lot to them and their fans, who have turned up in numbers to support their team in this decider!
As for Australia, the decision to rest so many of their main players has backfired today. They need to get their acts together quickly in this format to get ready for the Champions Trophy.
Babar Azam and Rizwan are elated and why not! Pakistan are the deserving victors of the series!
26.5 Adam Zampa to Babar Azam, PAKSITAN ARE THE COMPREHESIVE WINNERS, Zampa loses his length and offers a juicy full toss, Babar comes out of his crease and belts it over mid-on's head, one bounce and over the ropes. Arms go up in the air from Babar Azam and so too from Mohammad Rizwan at the other end and then the two friends embrace one other with a big hug out in the middle. Huge smiles on the faces of everyone in the Pakistan camp and they are absolutely elated. Dil-dil Pakistan echoes the Optus Stadium in Perth as Pakistan complete a series win in Australia after 22 years, first one after 2002. Handshakes and hugs all around
26.4 Adam Zampa to Mohammad Rizwan, nicely tossed on a full length outside off, Rizwan lunges and knocks it to long-off for a single
Rizwan is down! A slip near the popping crease there.
26.3 Adam Zampa to Mohammad Rizwan, tossed up on a full length at the stumps, Rizwan pushes back to the bowler and loses his balance
26.2 Adam Zampa to Mohammad Rizwan, pushed through on a length outside off, Rizwan goes back but the ball whizzes past his bat
26.1 Adam Zampa to Babar Azam, short of a length outside off, Babar turns it to mid-on's right and gets a single
Adam Zampa [1.0-0-4-0] comes back into the attack.
Well not to forget, Pakistan's last ODI series win in Australia was way back in 2002! So this will be huge for them, particularly after going through some tough times of late.
26
overs
137/2score
6
4
2
1
1
0
runs
Mohammad Rizwan*
29(24)
Babar Azam
23(28)
Aaron Hardie
0/19
25.6 Aaron Hardie to Mohammad Rizwan, off-pace delivery outside off, on the fuller side and Rizwan pushes it to short cover, no run, we will go into the next over
25.5 Aaron Hardie to Babar Azam, short of a length on the off stump, Babar pulls it to the right of mid-on for a single, just 4 more needed
The 50-partnership comes up between Babar and Rizwan.
25.4 Aaron Hardie to Mohammad Rizwan, full and into the stumps, knocked down to long-on for a single
25.3 Aaron Hardie to Mohammad Rizwan, short of a length outside off, Rizwan slaps it thorough point and picks up two more
Video
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Mohammad Rizwan
*
Aaron Hardie
Perth Stadium
