Opener Nasir Jamshed hit an aggressive 97 to guide Pakistan to a seven-wicket win over Australia in the second one-dayer, levelling the three-match series at 1-1 in Abu Dhabi on Friday. The 22-year-old left-hander took the attack to the Australian bowlers during his 98-ball innings, hitting 11 boundaries and two well-timed sixes to help his team successfully chase a 249-run target in the 43.4 overs at Abu Dhabi Stadium. Australia owed their recovery to another left-hander Michael Hussey (61) to post a challenging total despite an impressive performance by Pakistan’s ace spinner Saeed Ajmal (4-32).
Australia had won the first match by four wickets in Sharjah on Tuesday. The third and final match will be played in Sharjah on Monday. Pakistan’s batting, which folded in the first one-day for 198, showed a remarkable improvement as Jamshed and Mohammad Hafeez (23) raced to 66 by the 12th over to set their team on course for a win. Even when Hafeez pulled Dan Christian straight into the hands of Hussey, Jamshed remained unperturbed, as he pulled Christian for two exquisite sixes over mid-wicket. He brought up his sixth one-day fifty off 58 balls. As he looked set for his second hundred, Jamshed miscued a drive off Mitchell Johnson straight into the hands of Mitchell Starc at mid-off. He added 101 for the second wicket with Azhar Ali who made 59 not out.
Pakistan also lost Asad Shafiq (nine) but Ali and Misbah-ul Haq (35) saw off the target. Australian paceman Starc and James Pattinson, who shared eight wickets between them in the first match, found the ball hard to grip in the humid conditions and dismissed just one batsman. Misbah showed delight after the win. “I am really, really happy that we showed remarkable improvement and won this game,” said Misbah. “The bowlers did a wonderful job and then Jamshed and Ali played good knocks, so it’s satisfying.” Australian captain Michael Clarke praised the winners. “Full credit to Pakistan. I was difficult to bowl under lights but there are no excuses,” said Clarke. Earlier Hussey came good with his 38th one-day fifty to lead an Australian recovery from a precarious 87-4 after they won the toss and batted. Australia scored 73 runs in the last 10 overs foiling Ajmal, who at one point looked capable of keeping Australia down to 220.
