Lahore [Pakistan], February 1 (ANI): Pakistan thrashed Australia by 111 runs in the third and final T20I at the Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday. With this dominating win, Pakistan whitewashed Australia 3-0 in the three-match T20I series at home.
Mohammad Nawaz was named Player of the Match for his impressive bowling performance in the final T20I, whereas captain Salman Ali Agha was adjudged Player of the Series for his impressive batting performance throughout the series.
Batting first, Pakistan made 207/6 in 20 overs. Opener Saim Ayub (56 off 37 balls, with six fours and two sixes) and Babar Azam, unbeaten 50 off 36 balls, including four boundaries, as the hosts crossed the 20-run mark.
For Australia, Ben Dwarshuis (2/39) picked two wickets. Matthew Kuhnemann, Matthew Short, Cooper Connolly and Cameron Green scalped one-wicket apiece.
Chasing 208, Australia were rattled out for just 96 runs and lost the one-sided contest with a massive margin. For Pakistan, spinner Mohammad Nawaz delivered a sensational spell, picking up a five-wicket haul (5/18).
After winning the Player of the match award, Mohammad Nawaz said, “When the conditions are helpful then you are waiting for your opportunity. The focus is on doing the basics on such pitches, the ball was not turning every ball, but it was slow. I tried to keep it away from their arc and make them reach for the ball. If a batter hits a good ball for a boundary then it is fine, but I don’t want to feed them in their slot,” as quoted by Cricbuzz.
Pakistan skipper Agha, who won the Player of the Series, said, “It is a complete performance. We have been outstanding in the last two games, we have bowled well, fielded well, I can’t find any mistakes. (on his batting form) I am in a great frame of mind right now, I know how to put the captaincy behind when I am batting, that is a plus point before the World Cup. Whenever he (Shaheen) has played, he has bowled outstandingly well, Naseem too bowled really well, we pretty much ticked every boxes in the series. When you have five spinners and have only 20 overs, you don’t know who to bowl and they have made my job easy. I don’t see myself bowling many overs with the options we have. We have been fielding really well post the Asia Cup, we were a bit off against Sri Lanka, but wanted to make a mark in the field and we managed to do that,” as quoted by Cricbuzz. (ANI)
