The third ODI between Pakistan and Australia in Dubai will be a dead rubber but one be rest assured a win will be much sought-after in this one. You can follow the live score and blog of this game starting 10pm AEDT.
At the halfway point in the first innings of the previous game, the Pakistani openers seemed to have resolved their long-standing batsmen woes. After all, at 0/126 in 25 overs, they would have given themselves a good chance of getting to 280 if not more and following on from how they had capitulated in the first two matches on tour, it would have been a vast improvement.
Things went rather pear-shaped for Pakistan after that as old problems came back to haunt them.
Some inexplicable shots were played to get out, there were others who were just not in form to bat long enough while one like Fawad Alam just failed to put bat to ball for a long time.
The result? Pakistan were bowled out for 215, losing all their 10 wickets for 89 runs from the start they had received. Johnson proved to be the wrecker-in-chief yet again with three wickets but everyone else, bar Glenn Maxwell, chipped in with a wicket apiece.
Things did not look very easy for Australia in their chase as they fell to 3/72 at one stage – which included wickets of the hard-hitting Aaron Finch, centurion from the previous game, Steven Smith and David Warner, the Mr. Consistent these days.
And when Glenn Maxwell was dropped early and George Bailey survived some very torrid time with the bat, it seemed like Pakistan were in with a shot, defending that below-par score.
Fortunately for Australia, despite scoring just 28, Bailey stuck around for 68 balls and in the meantime, Maxwell had taken a liking to the Pakistani bowlers. He treated them with disdain once he had his eye in and the end was came quickly and in the 44th over.
Pakistan won’t do themselves any favour if they kept harping on the negatives. It’s a young team and that opening partnership and some patches of bowling went into the positive side of the ledger for them.
Wahab Riaz will miss out of the game because of an injury, however, and that could push them into bringing in Sohail Tanvir. The question, however, is whether they will like to change the top of the innings and select either Umar Amin and Shoaib Maqsood to the playing XI.
Australia can go unchanged but they have the looks of a side looking to experiment things in the lead-up to the World Cup. This could, in turn, give Mitchell Starc a chance in the XI but will he come in for Kane Richardson, Xavier Doherty or even James Faulkner remains to be seen.
Join me for this 3rd ODI between Pakistan and Australia on Sunday here and you can follow the live score of this game from 10pm and post your comments below.
Vibhor
Roar Rookie
One of the most exciting finishes in recent times.
Sandy
Guest
Cheers Suneer
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
So that will be it from me this series. Been great bringing it to you. Cricket takes bit of a break, before the tour resumes again with the two Tests and I will be back for it. Thankfully, those will be earlier starts and hopefully, will give Pakistan some respite. For now though, I sign off with this one:
Sandy
Guest
That was great.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Oh well, there will be postmortems. Where did Pakistan lose that one? In the last over? Partly yes, but if you ask me for my personal view, it has to boil down to that stroke Shoaib Maqsood played. Pakistan were 3/154 at that stage, needing 78 to win the game and with 18.2 overs in hand. The required-rate was just over four, they had seven wickets in hand and a coolish head should have won them the game 95 times out of 100. Even 99 times out of 100. Maqsood played a rash one and the rest of the batsmen came tumbling after. Then Sohail Tanvir brought them closer with his 22-run stand for the ninth wicket with Zulfiqar Babar before what transpired in the last over. Pakistan have a lot of thinking to do. Lots and lots of it.
Nudge
Guest
Amazing
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Unbelievable. Australia have won! Bazid Khan, about four balls earlier, said something on the lines of "Only Pakistan can do this." I am no-one to argue with him. They needed two from the last over and with two wickets in hand. They have lost both wickets, scored no runs and awarded Australia a 3-0 series win. Mohammad Irfan was looking to swing across the line yet again and this time he gets some bat on it. It takes the leading edge and goes high and to the cover fielder to take a single catch. A word on Maxwell, that was as good a last over as one would see.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
And another swing and another miss! Irfan keeps swinging but the ball keeps missing the bat and the stumps. The bat's too short for the tall man! 2 needed from 1.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Yep they have a slip for him and Irfan defends the first ball! Not for runs. And then he slogs but misses again! 2 needed from 2!
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Mohammad Irfan has walked out to bat. Australia could get a slip for him.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Bowled him!!! What a bad, bad shot! Tanvir was looking to slog across the line and missed. Sneaks through and is bowled. 2 needed from 4. But with one wicket left. Tie a chance too.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Glenn Maxwell will bowl the last over. Tanvir swings and misses. 2 needed from 5.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
An he wants to go over the top, Babar gets it through extra-cover and gets him and his side a couple of runs! Was that misfielded? 2 needed from 6.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Taps it down to mid-on for nothing. 4 needed from 7.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Doherty's using a towel every now and then. Dew problems. A slip comes in now, should have been there last ball.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Outside edge and that's gone through the slip region for a couple one! 4 needed from 8!
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Slides one down the pads and Babar tucks it around the corner. Gets a couple of runs to the leg-side. 6 needed from 9.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Tanvir works one away to deep square-leg for a single. 8 needed from 10.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Single first ball for Babar. That's nine needed from 11.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Xavier Doherty will bowl his last over, and the 49th of the innings. He has 10 runs to defend for now.