HARRARE – Pakistan on Sunday sealed their highest success chase andclinched the tri-series played at Zimbabwe’s Harare Sports Club by chasingdown Australia’s 184-run target up to the last over.
This is Pakistan’s ninth successive T20 series win and has helped the teamretain their top position in the T20 ranking.
It is also Pakistan’s first series win against Australia in the past 28years, the last time Pakistan won Austral-Asia Cup played in Sharjah in1990.
Youngster Asif Ali hit the winning four that brought glory to the greenshirts, Shoaib Malik accompanied him on the pitch.ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER AD
Opener Fakhar Zaman cracked a career-best 91 to help set up Pakistan’ssix-wicket win.
Zaman shared in a century stand with Shoaib Malik as Pakistan recoveredfrom an early wobble in their pursuit of Australia’s 183 for 8, and Malikthen showed all the experience of an 18-year international career to seehis team home with an unbeaten 43.
It looked as though Australia had produced a masterstroke in opening thebowling with Glenn Maxwell’s offspin as debutant Sahibzada Farhan wasstumped off the first ball he faced and Hussain Talat sliced a catch topoint three balls later to derail Pakistan’s chase.
Australia threatened to storm to victory, but Zaman quickly set aboutre-building the innings. First, he added 45 with captain Sarfraz Ahmed totake his team out of immediate danger, and he then added 107 for the fourthwicket with Malik to seize the advantage for Pakistan.
When Zaman fell cutting out to deep cover, Pakistan still needed 30 from24, but while Malik remained at the crease their chase was always safe.
Their ultimate victory capped a mixed day for Pakistan.
Australia captain Aaron Finch was given a first-ball reprieve when he wasdropped by Malik in the deep after top-edging a hook, and several misfieldsallowed any pressure with the new ball to be immediately dissipated.
Their errors allowed Australia to get off to a flier, with Finch puttingtogether a 95-run opening stand with D’Arcy Short. Short was also droppedjust after he had reached a 39-ball fifty, but he could not better hisprevious T20I high score of 76 and Pakistan’s bowling at the death keptAustralia in check.
From 95 for 0 after the first 10 overs, Australia lost 8 for 88 and their183 for 8 was not quite enough to better Pakistan in the final analysis. -APP/AFP