Pakistan triumphantly defeated Australia 2-1 in their exhilarating one-day international (ODI) cricket series.
The Pakistani fast bowlers delivered an extraordinary display of pace and seam mastery, toppling Australia for a mere 140 runs in the dramatic third match held at Perth.
With precision and confidence, the Pakistani batters chased down the target, securing victory with eight impressive wickets in hand.
The Australian hosts paid dearly for their decision to rest key players during Sunday’s decisive match. As they pursued the target, Pakistan’s captain, Mohammad Rizwan, together with his predecessor, Babar Azam, confidently clinched the win in the 27th over, awarding Pakistan their first ODI series triumph on Australian soil since 2002.
This encounter highlighted the waning prestige of the 50-over format, as Australia opted to rest their Test players in preparation for their highly anticipated five-match Test series against India, which commences on November 22.
The visitors, who suffered a narrow loss in the opener before bouncing back with a nine-wicket thumping on Friday, won the toss and elected to field.
Fast bowlers Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah led the way, picking up three wickets apiece during a showcase of swing and pace, which accounted for Jake Fraser-McGurk (seven) and Aaron Hardie (12) in the first powerplay.
Josh Inglis, in his captaincy debut, departed for seven after skying Naseem to wicketkeeper Rizwan in the 11th over and opener Matt Short (22) soon followed, caught at square leg attempting to pull in-form quick Haris Rauf (2-24)