Pakistan Crushes Australia to Level Series in Second ODI

In a thrilling display of skill and dominance, Pakistan completely outclassed Australia in the second ODI at the Adelaide Oval, winning by nine wickets with an impressive 23.3 overs remaining. Led by Haris Rauf’s outstanding bowling and a brilliant innings from Saim Ayub, Pakistan turned the tables on the reigning ODI World Champions and forced a series decider in Perth.

Haris Rauf Shines Again

Rauf was in stunning form for the second game in a row, tearing through Australia’s middle order with pace and accuracy. He claimed his second five-wicket haul in ODIs, with his delivery to dismiss Marnus Labuschagne being particularly remarkable. Rauf’s spell was instrumental in Australia’s collapse, as he ended with figures of 5-39, leaving the hosts struggling to reach a modest total of 163.

Steven Smith’s 35 was the highest score for Australia, but the team collapsed from 79 for 2 to all out for 163. Rauf’s dominance with the ball saw him take eight wickets across the first two matches of the series, while Mohammad Rizwan behind the stumps matched a record for the most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in an ODI, with six catches.

Saim Ayub’s Sparkling Knock

Chasing 164, Pakistan’s openers started cautiously against Australia’s bowlers, who were trying to make early breakthroughs. But after setting in, Saim Ayub unleashed a series of powerful strokes. He showcased his batting talent with a variety of impressive shots, including a stunning flick off Mitchell Starc that flew into the stands. Ayub initially struggled with just seven runs off his first 27 balls but quickly found his rhythm, smashing Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins to the boundary with ease.

Ayub reached his half-century in 52 balls and looked on course for a maiden ODI century before slicing a ball to short third. His 137-run opening stand with Abdullah Shafique set Pakistan on a clear path to victory, and Babar Azam completed the chase with a six off Adam Zampa, bringing Pakistan home with 141 balls to spare.

Australia’s Batting Struggles

Australia’s batting lineup, missing key players, couldn’t keep up with Pakistan’s pace attack. The new opening pair of Jake Fraser-McGurk and Matt Short aimed for an aggressive start, but both fell within the first seven overs. Fraser-McGurk struck three boundaries before being trapped lbw by Shaheen Shah Afridi, while Short was caught by Babar Azam off Shaheen’s bowling shortly after.

Smith, looking in good form, briefly lifted Australia’s hopes with a pulled six off Mohammad Hasnain but was soon dismissed. Haris Rauf took the key wickets of Josh Inglis, Labuschagne, and Aaron Hardie, further dismantling Australia’s batting order.

Despite some resistance from Glenn Maxwell, who struck one reverse sweep for six, Australia’s innings came to an end at 163. Rauf’s performance, supported by tight spells from Shaheen, Hasnain, and Naseem Shah, left Australia with one of their heaviest ODI defeats at home.

Series Decider Ahead!

With this victory, Pakistan leveled the series 1-1, and the teams now head to Perth for a series decider on Sunday. Australia will be without some of their key Test players, who are resting ahead of their series against India. Josh Inglis will lead the Australian side for the first time, while Pakistan will look to carry forward their winning momentum and clinch the series.