Australia completed their clean sweep against Pakistan with a 3-0 win – Aitrend

Australian batsmen Josh Inglis (left) and Marcus Stoinis (right) take a quick single during the third Twenty20 international cricket match between Australia and Pakistan at Bellerive Oval in Hobart on November 18, 2024. – AFP
Australian batsmen Josh Inglis (left) and Marcus Stoinis (right) take a quick single during the third Twenty20 international cricket match between Australia and Pakistan at Bellerive Oval in Hobart on November 18, 2024. – AFP

Australia thrashed Pakistan on Monday to secure a 3-0 win in the T20I series after defeating the visitors in the third and final match at Bellerive Oval.

Set to chase down a modest 118, Australia raced to victory at the loss of just three wickets and 52 balls.

The home team got off to a shaky start in the chase as openers Jake Fraser-McGurk (two) and Matthew Short (18) both returned to the dugout inside four overs with 30 runs on the board.

Skipper Josh Inglis then combined with Marcus Stoinis and scored an established 55-run partnership for the third wicket, which continued with the former being dismissed in the 10th over.

Inglis scored 27 off 24 balls with the help of four boundaries.

After his dismissal, Stoinis switched gears and took Australia over the line in 11.2 overs.

He top-scored for Australia, thanks to his fifth half-century in a T20I, smashing an unbeaten 67 off just 27 deliveries with the help of five sixes and four fours.

For Pakistan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Jehandad Khan and Abbas Afridi can pick up a wicket each.

By choosing to bat first, the touring side can muster 117 runs before being bundled out on the first delivery of the penultimate over.

New opening duo Sahibzada Farhan and Babar Azam were unable to give the visitors a consistent start as the former came back in the second half after scoring nine from seven.

After an early hiccup, Babar and Haseebullah Khan registered a solid 44-run partnership for the second wicket.

The duo appeared in command against the Australian bowlers until Adam Zampa got rid of Haseebullah in the seventh over to open the floodgates. The wicketkeeper-batsman 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 out by Zampa in the 13th over with just 91 runs on the board.

Babar remained the top scorer for the Pakistan national team with 28 balls and 41 balls, including four balls.

Playing XI

Pakistan: Babar Azam, Sahibzada Farhan, Haseebullah Khan (wk), Usman Khan, Salman Agha (c), Irfan Khan, Abbas Afridi, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Jahandad Khan, Haris Rauf, Sufyan Muqim.

Australia: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Matt Short, Josh Inglis (c/wk), Glenn Maxwell, Tim David, Marcus Stoinis, Aaron Hardy, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Spencer Johnson.

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