Haris Rauf and Saim Ayub led Pakistan to a commanding nine-wicket victory over Australia in the second ODI at Adelaide Oval on Friday.
Facing a modest target of 164, Pakistani openers Ayub and Abdullah Shafique started cautiously, managing only one boundary in the first seven overs. As they settled in, Ayub turned aggressive, rapidly scoring and reaching his half-century by the 15th over. He scored 82 from 71 balls, including five boundaries and six sixes, before Adam Zampa dismissed him in the 21st over.
Shafique played a more reserved role, finishing with an unbeaten 64 off 69 balls, while Babar Azam added 15 runs and struck the winning six.
Read: Haris Rauf Dominates as Pakistan Bowls Australia Out for 163
Earlier in the day, Haris Rauf delivered an outstanding performance, capturing five wickets as Pakistan bowled Australia out for 163 in 35 overs. Rauf, who was also effective in the first ODI, dismantled the Australian middle order, backed by Shaheen Shah Afridi who took the wickets of both openers, Jake Fraser-McGurk and Matthew Short. Afridi ended with three wickets, while Shah and Mohammad Hasnain each took one.
This marked Rauf’s second ODI five-wicket haul, earning him the player of the match. For Australia, Steven Smith was the highest scorer with 35 runs, but the team struggled to build significant innings.
This victory marked Pakistan’s first ODI win in Australia since January 2017, when then-captain Mohammad Hafeez led the team to a rare triumph, turning around their fortunes following a narrow defeat in the series-opening match.
