Poor total for Aussies as spin struggles continue

Australia’s struggles with Pakistan’s spin attack continued as they managed just 7-198 batting first in their one-day match in Abu Dhabi on Monday.

Acting captain Michael Clarke was the standout for Australia, scoring a steady 66 from 93 balls.

His fifth-wicket 54-run stand with youngster Callum Ferguson (41 from 68) formed the backbone of the innings after Australia had been in serious trouble at 4-91 at the 25-over mark.

While off-spinner Saeed Ajmal, reported for a suspected illegal bowling action after Friday’s second match, was not as effective as previously in the series, Pakistan’s two other spinners caused Australia plenty of trouble.

Leg-spinner Shahid Afridi took 2-31 from his 10 overs to now have 10 wickets in three games, including six in the series-opener.

His victims were the prize scalps of Andrew Symonds (seven) and Clarke.

The Australian batsmen found off-spinning all-rounder Shoaib Malik even harder to score from, picking up just 23 from his 10 overs.

Malik also picked up the wicket of opener Brad Haddin, bowling him behind his legs with a ball which turned sharply as Haddin moved across his stumps.

Ajmal, selected despite the report questioning the legality of his doosra, was not introduced into the attack until the 28th over.

He appeared to produce the doosra at least once, beating Clarke with the delivery in his fourth over, but managed only 0-43 from nine overs.

Earlier, Australia had made a blazing start after winning the toss on a 41-degree afternoon.

James Hopes cracked Umar Gul’s opening ball of the match down the ground for four.

Haddin hit left-armer Sohail Tanvir for boundaries off consecutive balls in the next over as Australia raced to 0-16 after two overs.

But Pakistan captain Younis Khan changed the momentum of the match with a brilliant run out of Hopes in the sixth over.

Hopes attempted a sharp single pushing wide of cover, but Khan pounced and hit the stumps from side-on, although Hopes would have considered himself unlucky to be given out by the third umpire in what appeared a line-ball decision.

No.3 Shane Watson played Gul onto his stumps four balls later to give Pakistan the ascendancy.

Haddin and Clarke staged a minor fightback with a 51-run stand before Malik bowled Haddin.

Then Afridi dismissed last game’s man of the match Symonds cheaply to have Australia firmly on the back foot at the halfway mark.

Clarke batted beautifully, striking some elegant boundaries early in his innings, then showing more caution as wickets fell around him.

But Afridi brought about his downfall in the 39th over, deceiving him in flight as he danced down the pitch and popped the ball back into the bowler’s hands.

Afridi’s hold on the Australians was illustrated as he conceded a total of just two runs from his final two overs, at a time when the batsmen were hoping to accelerate the run-rate in the final 10 overs.

Ferguson and Hussey both fell to Gul attempting big hits near the death of the innings.

The winner of the match will take a 2-1 lead in the five-game series, after Pakistan won the opening game and Australia the second.