Australia seals the T20I series by defeating Pakistan by 13 runs in the 2nd T20I. The Aussies took the revenge of the ODIs with a thumping performance in the T20I series. 

Fiery Start by the Aussie Openers

Australian openers made a roaring start to the innings and smashed the bowlers all around the ground. J.F McGurk and Mathew Short made full use of the powerplay and scored 48 runs in the first 3 overs. J.K McGurk smashed 20 runs of just 9 balls including 3 fours and a six. Meanwhile Matthew Short scored 32 runs off 17 deliveries including 2 fours and 2 sixes. Both the openers gave a very good start to the innings and set the tone for a big total.

Haris Rauf’s Outstanding Spell

However, Haris Rauf came to bowl the 4th over and he just changed the overall moment with back-to-back scalps. Haris continued his excellent form on the Australian soil and removed McGurk and the skipper Josh Inglis in the same over. Haris was superb with the ball as he also picked two crucial wickets in the final overs including the big fish Marcus Stoinis. Almost 3 catches were dropped off his bowling but he still managed to pick 4 wickets for just 22 runs from his 4 overs.

This was the fourth time Haris has taken a four-wicket haul in T20 Internationals and is yet to claim his maiden fifer. He might have claimed it tonight if the fielders supported him.  

Contribution from Abbas and Muqeem

Abbas Afridi and Sufiyan Muqeem also supported Haris Rauf with their outstanding spells. Sufiyan Muqeem with his left-arm leg-spin deliveries troubled the Aussies middle-over while Abbas Afridi once again showed his variations. Abbas Afridi picked 3 while Sufiyan grabbed two wickets from their 4 overs spell. 

After conceding 48 runs in the first 3 overs, Pakistani bowlers made a great comeback and restricted Australia to just 147 runs with 9 wickets down. This means they conceded just 100 runs in the next 17 overs and picked 9 wickets as well. Matthew Short was the top-scorer for Australia while Hardie also scored crucial 28 runs. 

Pakistan’s Horrible Start

In reply, Pakistan once again looked clueless against the Aussie bowlers. Their main batter Babar Azam fell early for just 3 runs, breaking the confidence of the team. Then both the batters, particularly Rizwan showed no intent to score as they scored just 30 runs from the powerplay. Rizwan hit a boundary in the 9th over and it’s hard to believe that it was the first boundary of the innings. The pressure of runs resulted in the back-to-back wickets of Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha. 

Usman and Irfan Partnership

Pakistan was struggling at 44-4 in 9 overs and then Usman Khan and Irfan Khan Niazi built up a partnership to bring Pakistan back into the contest. Usman Khan scored a brilliant half-century and got out on a score of 52. He smashed 4 fours and a six. These two added 58 runs for the 5-wicket partnership.

Pakistan once again lost momentum after the dismissal of Usman Khan and from 102-4, they collapsed to 107-8. However, Irfan Khan Niazi continued the battle from the other end. He played excellent shots all around the ground but in the end, his effort was not enough to get his side over the line. Irfan remained not out on 37 runs from 28 balls including 4 fours and a six. Pakistan was bowled out on 134 runs and lost both the match and series by 13 runs. 

S. Johnson’s Maiden Fifer

Spencer Johnson was the star with the bowl for Australia as he destroyed the Pakistani batting lineup. Johnson claimed his maiden and an outstanding five-wicket haul. He conceded just 26 runs from his 4 overs and played a key role in Australia’s victory. He was also given the Player of the Match award for his superb bowling.