Haris Rauf (5-29) claimed his second five-wicket haul in ODIs, spearheading a fiery bowling display by Pakistan as they bowled Australia out for 163 in the second ODI at the Adelaide Oval. Opting to bowl on a decent batting surface with a hint of green, Pakistan’s fast bowlers, led by Rauf, exploited the pace and bounce effectively. The pitch also offered some movement, and Australia’s batters struggled to cope. Steve Smith (35) was the only batter to make it into the 20s, highlighting the hosts’ disappointing batting effort.
At the halfway point, it seemed unlikely Australia would be bowled out so cheaply after their strong start. Matthew Short got things underway with a couple of fine drives off Shaheen Afridi in the first over. Jake Fraser-McGurk followed by smashing three boundaries off Naseem Shah’s opening over as the Australians raced to 20/0 in two overs. However, Afridi and Naseem quickly found their rhythm, creating breakthroughs. Afridi trapped Fraser-McGurk LBW with a trademark inswinger, and Naseem nearly had Short out in his next over, only for Afridi to drop a catch at deep square leg.
Smith, too, started with a couple of boundaries but soon lost Short, who drilled a cut shot straight to point. The rest of the first Powerplay was uneventful for Australia, as Josh Inglis joined Smith in an attempt to stabilize the innings. Both played a few crisp shots, and it seemed like a big score was still possible with the pitch playing well. However, Rauf’s introduction turned the game around as he created chances from the outset. A sharp chance off just his third delivery saw Smith’s cut shot dropped at backward point by Saim Ayub.
Bowling with extreme pace and a hard length, Rauf had the Australian batters hopping. He dismissed Inglis in his second over with a short, skiddy delivery down the leg side, and then had Marnus Labuschagne in his third over, getting him to edge a cracking delivery. Unlike past Adelaide pitches, this one never really eased up, keeping Pakistan’s pacers in the game with consistent movement. Smith, who had played some elegant strokes, including a six over deep backward square leg, fell to a harmless short-and-wide ball from Mohammad Hasnain, nicking it behind.
Smith’s dismissal was a body blow for Australia, and they never recovered. Aaron Hardie and Glenn Maxwell tried to rebuild but both struggled, with their muddled approach eventually costing them their wickets. Rauf’s second spell accounted for both as Pakistan maintained relentless pressure. A few late blows from Pat Cummins and Adam Zampa lifted Australia’s total, but they would have been dismissed well below 150 without their late resistance.
For Pakistan, Shaheen Afridi (3-26) provided excellent support to Rauf, while Naseem bowled without much luck. Captain Rizwan had a field day behind the stumps, taking six catches, though he missed a skier off Zampa towards the end. Despite Australia’s under-par total, with the pitch offering assistance to the quicks, the hosts might still feel they’re in the game, given the quality of their pace attack.
**Brief scores**: Australia 163 all out in 35 overs (Steve Smith 35; Haris Rauf 5-29, Shaheen Afridi 3-26) vs Pakistan
