Pakistan secured a series-sweeping 111-run victory over Australia in the third T20I in Lahore on Sunday evening.
It’s gone from bad to worse for Australia. Just 24 hours after being smashed by 90 runs in the second T20I at the same venue, the visitors slumped to a 111-run defeat, their biggest in T20I history.
Pakistan wielded the willow first. Fakhar Zaman (10) and captain Salman Agha (5) fell relatively early to Matthew Short and Ben Dwarshuis, respectively.
That left Saim Ayub and crowd favourite Babar Azam (50 not out) to put the innings back together. The duo combined for 69 runs off 45 balls before Matt Reshaw held onto a screamer to get rid of Ayub for 56, leaving the hosts 103/3 in the 12th over.
Khawaja Nafay (21) clobbered three boundaries before being dismissed, bringing Shadab Khan to the crease. The allrounder was in a belligerent mood, hitting 46 off just 19 balls, including nine sixes, to help Pakistan to 207/6.
Much like Saturday, Australia’s response never gathered any momentum. Shaheen Shah Afridi got two early wickets and fellow opener Mohammad Nawaz also chipped in, leaving them reeling at 16/3 in the third over.
Marcus Stoinis (23) and Cameron Green (22) patched up the innings with the only partnership to speak of but wth the required rate rising, they needed to push on. Nawaz got rid of them both in one over. Both Josh Philippe and Cooper Conelly then fell for Nawaz’s deception as he picked up his fourth and fifth wickets to finish with figures of 5/18 off his allotment.
With Adam Zampa not batting because of injury, Naseem Shah wrapped up the innings when he dismissed Matthew Kuhnemann in the 17th over to put an end to a disastrous tour for Australia.
