SYDNEY: Spencer Johnson took five wickets to help Australia thump Pakistan in the second T20I and attain an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series here at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Saturday.
Pakistan, while chasing a target of 149, were bundled for a meagre 134 in the last over, with Irfan Khan, who waged a lone war, remaining unbeaten on 37.
The visitors found themselves struggling early on during the run-chase as they lost two wickets in 2.5 overs with 17 runs on the board.
Notably, they did not hit a single boundary off bat in the power play as the only boundary came off a wide on the first ball of the innings.
Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan played a scratchy knock of 16 runs from 26 balls with only one four before he fell victim to Johnson. Meanwhile, vice-captain Salman Ali Agha was dismissed on the next ball to leave Pakistan reeling at 44-4.
Usman Khan and Irfan Khan launched Pakistan’s recovery with a 58-run stand for the fifth wicket from 35 balls before Johnson struck again to remove the former. Usman top-scored for Pakistan with 52 runs from 38 balls with the help of four boundaries and one six.
Irfan then waged a lone war as wickets kept falling on the other end, scoring an unbeaten 37 off 28 which featured five boundaries, including one six.
Johnson topped the bowling charts with the figures of 5-26, while Adam Zampa claimed two wickets.
Earlier, Australia opted to bat first and fielded an unchanged side, that defeated Pakistan in the rain-effect first T20I in Brisbane. Meanwhile, Pakistan replaced Haseebullah Khan with left-arm wrist-spinner Sufiyan Muqeem.
Opening batters Matthew Short and Jake Fraser-McGurk came out all guns blazing, smashing Australia’s fastest fifty in T20I cricket in only 19 balls.
However, Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan brought Haris Rauf into the attack, who provided the breakthrough with the wicket of Fraser-McGurk (20 off nine) in the fourth over with 52 runs on the board.
Australian captain Josh Inglis also fell prey to Haris in the same over without opening his account.
Abbas Afridi was brought in from the other end and he castled Matthew Short on the last over to leave Australia reeling to 56-3 in five overs. Short top-scored with 32 runs from 17 balls which featured four boundaries, including two sixes.
Glenn Maxwell (21) and Marcus Stoinis (14) then knitted a cautious 30-run stand from 29 balls for the fourth wicket before they both fell to Sufiyan Muqeem in consecutive overs.
Pakistan bowlers prevented Australia from making a comeback as the hosts struggled to score freely while losing wickets at regular intervals.
Aaron Hardie was the only notable contributor from lower-order with a 28-run knock from 23 innings with one boundary and one six. It’s worth noting that he was the only batter to hit a six after openers.
Abbas Afridi removed Hardie and Spencer Johnson on back-to-back deliveries in the last over but missed out on a hat-trick on the last ball of the innings.
Haris Rauf led the bowling attack with the figures of 4-22, while Abbas took 3-17. Sufiyan Muqeem grabbed two wickets and gave away 21 runs.
Australia: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Matt Short, Josh Inglis (c)(wk), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Aaron Hardie, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Spencer Johnson
Pakistan: Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (c)(wk), Sahibzada Farhan, Usman Khan, Salman Agha, Irfan Khan, Abbas Afridi, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah
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