3rd ODI, Lahore, April 02, 2022, 03:30 PM
Australia
210/10(41.5ov)
Pakistan
214/1(37.5ov)
Pakistan beat Australia by 9 wickets
Right then! That is all we have from this match and the ODI series as well. The Aussies were victorious in the Test series and Pakistan have now won the ODI series to get on level terms. There is still action left in this tour as there is a one-off T20I match left and both teams will be looking to win that and take bragging rights. That match will be played on the 5th of April at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Action will begin at 8.30 pm IST (3 pm GMT) but the build-up will begin much sooner. Join us then. Take care and goodbye!
Ramiz Raja, the President of the Pakistan Cricket Board take the mic and has a few words to say to the crowd as he thanks them for their continued love and support. He then presents the ODI series trophy to Babar Azam who lifts it and celebrates with his team. The Pakistan team then pose for a winning team photo.
Babar Azam, the Pakistan skipper is the Player of the Match as well as the Player of the Series for notching up 276 runs (1 fifty and 2 hundreds) in the series. He says that after losing the first match, one needs confidence to come back and credits his team for coming back strongly and putting up a good performance. Tells that if one gets early wickets in the first 10 overs then the opposition gets under pressure and the bowlers executed the plan very well. Mentions that he enjoys the pressure and tries to keep himself calm. Adds that as a captain he focuses on the result and not individual performance.
Australian skipper Aaron Finch says that they just didn't get enough runs and it's hard to put up a total when the team is three down so early on. Adds that the bowlers gave it their all and is proud of them and they just tried to go hard with the bat even after the wickets fell because any score less than 250-260 would be below par. Mentions that Travis Head and Ben McDermott played really well throughout the series and applauds the bowlers for their valiant efforts in all three matches and adds that there are a lot of positives and negatives to take away from this match. He ends by saying that they love the support here and is looking forward to the T20I match.
Presentation ceremony...
Well, the final match of the series didn't turn out to be the contest we were hoping for but nevertheless, we got to see a lot of exciting individual performances. Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf and Mohammad Wasim with the ball were pretty good and then the blitz from Sean Abbott, taking Afridi to the cleaners and finally the dynamic duo of Imam-ul-Haq and Babar Azam putting on yet another top-class performance. In the end, the hosts came out on top and ended up winning the ODI series. The presentation ceremony is up next.
The leading run-scorer in the series, Imam-ul-Haq is down for a quick chat. Imam says that the way the boys came back from the defeat in the first ODI is amazing. Says that it is all about self-belief and hats off to everyone for stepping up. Tells that he is a mature player now and says that he is working very hard. Mentions that Babar is his best friend and he gets along with him very well. He thanks his coaches for the support they showed him. Tells that criticism is a part of the game and he does not focus on that but he has worked hard on his game and is glad that he was able to contribute with the bat.
Revenge is sweet and after the heartbreak in the Test series, the hosts have some relief as they come from behind to clinch the ODI series. Imam-ul-Haq has certainly been like a rock at the top for Pakistan and getting him out has been the hardest thing in this series. Once again he showed his class and along with skipper Babar Azam, the pair added on 190-runs to seal the victory. Talking about Babar, he went on to score back-to-back tons and has cemented his place as a true great of the game. What a commanding performance with the bat and both batters ended up with well over 250-runs in the series, a phenomenal feat in itself.
Australia had a depleted squad and especially in the bowling department, they were fairly inexperienced. The firepower at the top though was prolific in the first two matches and with no decent score from anyone in the top four, the visitors were halfway out of the contest then and there. The bowlers had a difficult job at hand and given that most have them have never played at the highest level in such conditions, it was a near-impossible task. Nathan Ellis gave them hope at the start by sending Fakhar Zaman back but soon the hosts took the game away and the Aussies were handed a thumping defeat as they couldn't pick up another wicket in the whole innings. They will now turn their attention to the one-off T20I.
A first ODI series victory at home for Pakistan against Australia since 1988 and what a way to do it! After losing the Test series on the final day and being humbled in the first ODI, Babar Azam and co have come roaring back to clinch the three-match series 2-1 with a complete performance in the final match.
In over# 38
4
0
0
0
0
Marnus Labuschagne 31/0(5.5)
37.5
4
FOUR! There comes the winning runs! Imam-ul-Haq finishes it off in style. What a series this was and Imam-ul-Haq and Babar Azam have been the pillar for Pakistan. Such a comprehensive performance. Imam-ul-Haq comes down the track and smashes it to long on for a boundary. Pakistan win the match by 9 wickets and win the series 2-1!
37.4
.
Loopy ball, on off. Imam-ul-Haq tucks it to square leg.
37.3
.
Full and outside off, steered to backward point.
37.2
.
Full and outside off, Imam-ul-Haq comes down the track and heaves it but can't beat mid on.
37.1
.
Full and outside off, Marnus Labuschagne steps out and blocks it.
In over# 37
2
0
1
2
0
2
Jason Behrendorff 51/0(9)
36.6
2
Scores level! On a length, on leg. Babar Azam tucks it off his pads to deep mid-wicket for a brace.
36.5
.
Full and on off, driven to mid off.
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