3rd ODI: Pakistan beat Australia by 4 wickets to clinch series 2-1

Lahore (Web Desk): Pakistan secured a memorable 4-wicket victory over Australia in the third and final One-Day International to win the three-match series 2-1 at Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday.

After winning the toss, Australia opted to bat first, but Pakistan's bowlers produced a disciplined performance to dismiss the visitors for just 157 runs on a spin-friendly surface.

Australian captain Josh Inglis was the standout performer with 65 runs, while Marnus Labuschagne and Alex Carey contributed 19 runs each. Adam Zampa added 10, with no other batter managing to reach double figures.

For Pakistan, Shaheen Shah Afridi led the bowling attack with three wickets, while Shadab Khan and Abrar Ahmed claimed two wickets apiece. Haris Rauf chipped in with one wicket.

Chasing a modest target of 158, Pakistan faced early setbacks as opener Sahibzada Farhan was dismissed for six. However, Moez Sadaqat provided momentum with a brisk 27-run knock.

Batting remained challenging on the difficult surface, and Pakistan continued to lose wickets at regular intervals.

Young Ghazi Ghori scored eight before departing, while Salman Ali Agha and Babar Azam steadied the innings with a valuable 33-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

Babar played a composed innings of 40 off 85 balls, but his dismissal at 112, along with Arafat Minhas' wicket at the same score, increased the pressure on the home side.

With the match hanging in the balance, Shadab Khan and Abdul Samad produced a match-winning unbeaten partnership of 49 runs for the seventh wicket to guide Pakistan to victory in the 42nd over. Shadab remained unbeaten on 29, while Abdul Samad finished on 18 not out.

The victory sealed a 2-1 series triumph for Pakistan, completing a successful campaign against Australia and highlighting the team's resilience in challenging conditions.