Pakistan displayed a strong bowling performance on Friday, restricting Australia to a modest total of 163 runs in the second ODI of the series at Adelaide Oval. This comeback effort, led by Haris Rauf’s impressive five-wicket haul, has given Pakistan a solid chance to level the three-match series.

After suffering a narrow two-wicket defeat in the opening ODI, Pakistan was determined to bounce back. In this game, wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan made his debut as captain, opting to bowl first. His decision paid off as Pakistan’s bowlers put constant pressure on the Australian lineup.

Australian openers Matthew Short (19 runs off 15 balls with three boundaries) and Jake Fraser-McGurk (13 runs off 10 balls with three boundaries) struggled to establish a strong foundation, contributing only 21 runs together. Shaheen Afridi provided Pakistan with their first breakthrough, dismissing Fraser-McGurk early.

Steven Smith stood out as Australia’s top scorer, putting up 35 runs from 48 balls. However, no other Australian batsman managed to surpass the 20-run mark, leaving the team struggling to build any significant partnerships.

Haris Rauf emerged as the star of the match, taking five wickets for just 29 runs in his eight overs. Shaheen Afridi also made a substantial impact, claiming three wickets, while Mohammad Hasnain and Naseem Shah each picked up one.

Australia’s batting lineup struggled to maintain momentum, with Steven Smith’s 35 runs and Adam Zampa’s late contribution of 18 runs being the only highlights. Pakistan now needs just 164 runs to win the match and level the series.

Brief Scores:
Australia 163 (Steven Smith 35, Adam Zampa 18; Haris Rauf 5/29) vs Pakistan.

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