Australia defeated Pakistan by 40 runs in the third One Day International at the Adelaide Oval, and took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series. Man of the Match Ryan Harris claimed five wickets for 43 runs to help Australia bowl out Pakistan for 246.
For Australia, there were fifties from Shaun Marsh and Michael Clarke, but it was Mike Hussey’s 28-ball 49 that pushed the side to 286 for six.
Harris, who had been called in as a late replacement for the injured Peter Siddle, struck in his first over with the wicket of Kamran Akmal, leg before. Pakistan was in trouble before Umar Akmal, and thereafter, Shahid Afridi, induced visions of a fightback.
But Harris ensured he engineered both dismissals. He removed Umar first with one that nipped in to find the outside edge, and later on in the innings, brilliantly yorked Afridi to bring the batsman’s blistering innings to an end.
Afridi’s 29-ball 40 included four fours and a six. Harris then scalped Umar Gul and Naved-ul-Hasan to ease his side to the series win.
Earlier, Australia’s innings benefitted from crucial partnerships and Hussey’s late surge. Marsh and Clarke batted well to make 83 and 80 respectively. Pakistan’s fields were defensive, and both batsmen found easy singles and twos.
Australia’s approach was more aggressive in the last ten overs. Pakistan’s fielding standards dropped further, as Clarke and Hussey accelerated. 95 runs came from the last 10 overs, which ended up making the difference.
The scores: Australia: S. Watson b Asif 33, S. Marsh st Kamran Akmal b Ajmal 83, R. Ponting lbw b Naved-ul-Hasan 0, M. Clarke b Gul 80, C. White c Kamran Akmal b Naved-ul-Hasan 28, M. Hussey c Younis b Gul 49, B. Haddin (not out) 1, N. Hauritz (not out) 0; Extras: (b-1, lb-1, w-5, nb-5) 12; Total: (six wickets; 50 overs) 286.
Fall of wickets: 1-63, 2-64, 3-149, 4-204, 5-284, 6-284.
Pakistan bowling: Asif 10-0-51-1, Gul 10-1-80-2, Naved-ul-Hasan 10-0-57-2, Afridi 10-0-55-0, Ajmal 10-0-41-1.
Pakistan: S. Butt lbw b McKay 34, K. Akmal lbw b Harris 1, Younis Khan c Haddin b McKay 12, M. Yousuf b Watson 11, U. Akmal c Haddin b Harris 59, F. Alam b McKay 33, S. Afridi b Harris 40, Naved-ul-Hasan c White b Harris 33, U. Gul c Haddin b Harris 0, S. Ajmal (not out) 8, M. Asif c Haddin b Hauritz 1; Extras: (lb-11, w-3) 14; Total: (47.4 overs) 246.
Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-47, 3-58, 4-60, 5-145, 6-168, 7-226, 8-226, 9-238.
Australia bowling: Bollinger 9-0-35-0, Harris 10-0-43-5, Watson 9-0-66-1, McKay 10-1-48-3, Hauritz 7.4-0-37-1, Clarke 2-0-6-0.