Veteran Mike Hussey and youngster Glenn Maxwell scored half-centuries to guide Australia to a brilliant series win with victory in the third and deciding one-day international against Pakistan.
Set a target of 245 to win, Australia was struggling at 5 for 159 before Mike Hussey (65) and 23-year-old fourth-gamer Maxwell shared a 67-run partnership to put Australia back in the contest.
Maxwell's unbeaten 56 came off 38 deliveries and included four fours and three sixes.
After reaching his maiden half-century, the Victorian fittingly hit a six for the winning runs for a total of 7 for 250 at the end of the 47th over as Australia claimed a 2-1 series victory with three overs and three wickets to spare.
"It's a very special feeling and a very special win after our defeat in England," Australia captain Michael Clarke said afterwards.
"I've never played in heat or humidity like this and the series was won by the whole team.
"As a captain you always say it's important to have a blend of youth and experience and today we saw that as Mike Hussey continues to perform consistently while Glenn Maxwell played his natural game and showed no fear."
Pakistan has now not won a series against Australia in ten years and skipper Misbah-ul-Haq wants the result to serve as a wake-up call for his team.
"We have to improve in every department," Misbah said.
"We have to find ways of getting the right combination of fast bowlers and we have to improve our batting and fielding.
"At important stages we collapse and we mess up chances in fielding and we have to improve in those areas."
Pakistan's star spinner Saeed Ajmal, whose first spell yielded 3 for 11 off five overs, finished with 3 for 37 off nine while fellow spinner Abdur Rehman took 2 for 41 off nine.
Earlier, pacemen Mitchell Starc (4 for 51) and Mitchell Johnson (2 for 33) helped restrict Pakistan to 7 for 244.
Clarke won the toss and wanted his bowlers to get first use of the conditions to avoid having to confront the slippery late-night dew which contributed to their defeat in game two in Abu Dhabi.
Mohammad Hafeez (78) and Nasir Jamshed (48) shared a partnership of 129, which was 12 runs shy of the highest opening stand by Pakistan against Australia.
The 22-year-old Starc claimed the key wickets of Asad Shafiq (27), Misbah-ul-Haq (25), Ubmar Akmal (duck) and Kamran Akmal (two).
Australia pushed opening batsman Matthew Wade down the order to give him a rest after wicketkeeping for 50 overs in on-field temperatures in the mid-40s.
David Warner (21) added a brisk 44 with new opening partner David Hussey, who had spoken pre-game of Australia's plan to play attacking cricket against Ajmal.
Warner fell to Rehman and Pakistan's hopes soared after Ajmal claimed the prize wicket of Clarke (32) stumped.
Ajmal also removed David Hussey (43 off 45 balls) caught at long-on. George Bailey (one) tried a sweep shot and was caught behind off Ajmal at 4 for 108.
Australia took the batting power play in the 36th over but Pakistan took control of the game when number six Wade (22) was bowled by Reman three balls later.
The 37-year-old Mike Hussey's innings of 62 came to an end when he missed a slog-sweep and was bowled by paceman Junaid Khan.
Bailey's Australia Twenty20 side take on Mohammad Hafeez's Pakistan in a three-match series starting on Wednesday night in Dubai (2:00am Thursday AEST).
AAP
Tags: sport, cricket, united-arab-emirates First posted September 04, 2012 08:18:00
No comments:
Post a Comment