Australia dominated Pakistan in the third T20I today with a 7-wicket victory and clean sweep of the series. The match was perfectly held at Bellerive Oval in Hobart as Australia chased down Pakistan’s total of 117 in just 11.2 overs. With this result, Australia sealed a comprehensive series win of 3-0 over their opponents.
Pakistan’s Disappointing Batting Collapse
It was a promising enough start to be sure, as Pakistan elected to bat first after winning the toss, starting off well enough at 58/1 in the powerplay. Openers Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan were looking set. However, things quickly fell apart in the innings as Pakistan’s middle order became incapable of building on that bright start. Star of the batting for Pakistan was Babar Azam, who scored 41 runs off 28 balls. However, his efforts were not good enough to stabilize the ship as Pakistan lost wickets in bundles throughout the innings.
The Pakistan team’s batting collapse was triggered by some fine bowling from Australia, especially Spencer Johnson and Aaron Hardie, both of whom had immense roles in taking away the backbone of Pakistan’s batting. The pace and precision of Johnson were important as he picked up 3 wickets while Hardie supported well with 3 wickets of his own. Unable to cope with the constant pressure, Pakistan’s batting line-up folded for a mere 117 in 18.1 overs.
Aussie Quick Response to the Chase
Australia’s chase of 118 was a mere formality, and the Australian batsmen made light work of the target. Marcus Stoinis topped it off and played an innings of 61 off 27 balls*. His aggressive stroke play with five boundaries and as many sixes left Pakistan’s bowlers with little chance. The brilliant innings by Stoinis meant that Australia overhauled the target with ease, and the match was virtually decided well before the 12th over.
Batting depth saw Australia through, although Matt Short and Fraser-McGurk fell relatively early in the chase. Tim David played an important cameo in the chase, coming back with 7 off 3 balls. Australia needed only 11.2 overs to reach their target—a testament to the gulf in skill and strategy between the two teams. A six from Stoinis finished the game off, bringing an emphatic close to a dominant Australian performance.
Key Players of the Match
- Marcus Stoinis (Australia): With his blistering 61*, Stoinis was the hero that starred in Australia’s win. His cameo made the chase a cakewalk and proved to be the turning point of the game.
- Babar Azam (Pakistan): Though his team failed to click, Babar Azam’s 41 runs were vital in putting up some resistance against the bowling attack of Australia.
- Spencer Johnson (Australia): The fast bowler was instrumental in dismantling Pakistan’s top order, taking three wickets, and maintained the pressure from start to finish.
- Aaron Hardie (Australia): Another standout with the ball was Hardie, who picked up three wickets and contributed a lot to Pakistan’s downfall.
Australia Dominates the Series
Australia wrapped up the series 3-0 with this win as they totally outplayed Pakistan in every department. It was a clinical display with the bat, sharp in the field, and ruthless with the ball. Pakistan, on the other hand, have much to ponder over. Right from getting off to a flier in the powerplay, failing to build partnerships, and lack of fight from the middle order exposed the chinks in their armor. Even their bowling attack failed to put pressure on the Australian batsmen in the chase.
This series victory will provide enormous confidence to the Australians, as some of the key players in this team, such as Stoinis and Johnson, showed excellent form. The comprehensive win brought out their depth in both batting and bowling, too, making them one of the most formidable teams in T20 cricket.
Looking Ahead
Coming off this series, Australia will look ahead to their upcoming fixtures, as their form in T20Is seems to show glimpses of getting better. However, much work is to be done if Pakistan are going to compete at the best level. Their batting, in particular, requires more consistency, and they have to work on better partnerships if they are going to put up competitive totals against other teams in their future matches. For both sides, this series has been an important learning experience, and they would do well to rectify their shortcomings as they prepare for their next assignments.