Pakistan skittled for 117 in final T20 against Australia

Aaron Hardie took three wickets as Pakistan crashed to a meagre 117 all out in the final game of their T20 series against Australia at Hobart’s Bellerive Oval on Monday.

 

 

The hosts have already wrapped up the series after winning a rain-hit match in Brisbane by 29 runs and then in Sydney by 13 runs.

After opting to bat, Pakistan were 62-1 before losing focus to be dismissed in the 19th over with Babar Azam top-scoring on 41.

Hardie took 3-21 while spinner Adam Zampa and quick Spencer Johnson grabbed two wickets each.

Pakistan opted to rest captain and wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan, with Sahibzada Farhan moving up the order to open with Azam.

Agha Salman led the side in the skipper’s absence. Seamer Jahandad Khan came in to make his debut in place of Naseem Shah.

But on a chilly evening, the opening partnership of Azam and Farhan failed to fire with Farhan lasting just seven balls before top-edging a short one from Johnson — fresh from taking five wickets in Sydney — to Xavier Bartlett.

Azam produced a series of elegant strokes as he and Haseebullah Khan put on a quickfire 44 for the second wicket.

But Khan was no match for Zampa’s spin, collecting an outside edge on 24 to Matt Short.

Pakistan’s woes mounted with Usman Khan caught on the ropes after slogging Hardie and skipper Salman Agha trapped lbw by the same bowler for one.

It left them reeling on 72-4 at the halfway mark and when Zampa bowled Azam and Irfan Khan was needlessly run out, they were in deep trouble.

Shaheen Shah Afridi blasted only six of the innings but didn’t last as the tailenders were tidied up promptly.

A concern for Australia was Glenn Maxwell leaving the field midway through with an apparent left hamstring problem.

Australia: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Matt Short, Josh Inglis (capt), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, Aaron Hardie, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, and Spencer Johnson

Pakistan: Babar Azam, Sahibzada Farhan, Haseebullah Khan, Usman Khan, Salman Agha (capt), Irfan Khan, Abbas Afridi, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Jahandad Khan, Haris Rauf, and Sufiyan Muqeem

Umpires: Sam Nogajski (AUS) and Shawn Craig (AUS)

TV Umpire: Donovan Koch (RSA)

Match Referee: David Boon (AUS)