LAHORE: Skipper Babar Azam and opener Imam-ul-Haq smashed sensible centuries to lend a hand Pakistan pull off their perfect ODI run-chase in a six-wicket overcome Australia in Lahore on Thursday.
Azam hit an 83-ball 114 and Haq notched a 97-ball 106 as Pakistan chased down a stiff 349-run goal with six balls to spare to stage the three-match sequence at 1-1.
Ben McDermott cracked a maiden ODI hundred in Australia’s implementing general of 348-8 on a flat Gaddafi Stadium pitch.
The victory is Pakistan’s first over Australia since Melbourne in January 2017. In between, they’d misplaced 10 consecutive one-day internationals.
Pakistan’s win units up an intriguing ultimate tournament on the similar venue on Saturday. Australia gained the primary tournament by way of 88 runs on Tuesday, additionally in Lahore.
Haq, who hit six limitations and 3 sixes, placed on a powerful 118-run opening stand with Fakhar Zaman (67) off 111 balls to set the platform for the chase.
Zaman smashed seven limitations and two sixes throughout his 64-ball knock earlier than he used to be bowled by way of Marcus Stoinis.
Undeterred, Haq finished his 9th hundred off 90 balls earlier than he holed out at long-off in spinner Adam Zampa’s thirty fifth over.
Haq added 111 for the second one wicket with Azam off 92 balls.
Azam reached his fifteenth ODI century with a unmarried off Cameron Inexperienced, achieving the mark off 73 balls. He added 80 for the 3rd wicket with Mohammad Rizwan earlier than he used to be stuck off Nathan Ellis with 40 wanted off 34 balls.
When Rizwan fell for 23, Pakistan nonetheless wanted 32 however Khushdil Shah cracked 27 no longer out with two fours and as many sixes and Iftikhar (8 no longer out) noticed off the objective in 49 overs.
Pakistan’s earlier perfect ODI chase used to be 327 completed towards Bangladesh at Mirpur in 2014.
Previous, McDermott scored 104 off 108 balls in best his fourth ODI, whilst Travis Head struck 89 and Marnus Labuschagne hit 59 after Australia had been despatched in to bat in to bat.
All-rounder Stoinis added the of completion with a quickfire 49, with 5 limitations and a six.
Tempo spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi — who overlooked Pakistan’s 88-run defeat within the first ODI with a knee harm — gave the house facet a leap forward off the 3rd ball of the innings when he trapped Aaron Finch leg-before with out scoring.
However Australia scored at will after that with McDermott and Head including 162 off 144 balls for the second one wicket, hitting limitations very easily.
Head, who scored 101 on Tuesday, smashed 5 sixes and 6 fours earlier than miscuing a sweep off leg-spinner Zahid Mahmood, being stuck by way of Shaheen at quick fine-leg.
McDermott added some other 74 with Labuschagne, and throughout that stand hit spinner Khushdil over long-off boundary for 6 to finish a century off 102 balls.
He used to be after all stuck off pacer Mohammad Wasim.
Regardless of Alex Carey and Cameron Inexperienced falling for 5 every, Sean Abbott chipped in with a 16-ball 28 to spice up the entire.
Shaheen completed with 4-63 and Wasim took 2-56, however Pakistan’s Iftikhar Ahmed and Khushdil conceded 95 runs in ten overs between them.
Groups:
Pakistan: Babar Azam (captain), Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam-Ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Zahid Mahmood, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Junior, Saud Shakeel
Australia: Aaron Finch (captain), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Inexperienced, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Ben McDermott, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Adam Zampa
Umpires: Aleem Dar (PAK) and Ahsan Raza (PAK)
TV umpire: Asif Yaqoob (PAK)
Fit referee: Muhammad Javed Malik (PAK)