Pakistan(National Times)- Australia pummelled Pakistan on Monday to secure a 3-0 T20I series victory after beating the visitors in the third and final match at the Bellerive Oval. Set to chase a modest 118, Australia raced to the victory for the loss of just three wickets and 52 balls to spare. The home side got off to a shaky start to the pursuit as both openers Jake Fraser-McGurk (two) and Matthew Short (18) returned to the dugout inside four overs with 30 runs on the board. Skipper Josh Inglis then joined hands with Marcus Stoinis and registered an anchoring 55-run partnership for the third-wicket, which lasted with the former’s dismissal in the 10th over. Inglis scored 27 off 24 balls with the help of four boundaries.Following his dismissal, Stoinis switched gear and steered Australia over the line in 11.2 overs. He top-scored for Australia, courtesy of his fifth T20I half-century, smashing an unbeaten 67 off just 27 deliveries with the help of five sixes and as many fours. For Pakistan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Jahandad Khan and Abbas Afridi could pick up a wicket apiece. Opting to bat first, the touring side could accumulate 117 runs before getting bundled out on the first delivery of the penultimate over. The new opening pair of Sahibzada Farhan and Babar Azam could not give visitors a steady start as the former walked back in the second over after scoring nine off seven. Following the early hiccup, Babar and Haseebullah Khan registered an anchoring 44-run partnership for the second wicket. The duo appeared in command against Australian bowlers until Adam Zampa got rid of Haseebullah in the seventh over to open the floodgates. The wicketkeeper batter scored 24 off 19 deliveries with the help of three boundaries. Pakistan then lost two more wickets – Usman Khan (3) and skipper Salman Ali Agha (1) – before their mainstay Babar was cleaned up by Zampa in the 13th over with just 91 runs on the board. Babar remained the top-scorer for Pakistan with a 28-ball 41, which featured four fours.
Playing XIs
Pakistan: Babar Azam, Sahibzada Farhan, Haseebullah Khan (wk), Usman Khan, Salman Agha (c), Irfan Khan, Abbas Afridi, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Jahandad Khan, Haris Rauf, Sufiyan Muqeem.
Australia: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Matt Short, Josh Inglis (c/wk), Glenn Maxwell, Tim David, Marcus Stoinis, Aaron Hardie, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Spencer Johnson.
