In the second ODI played at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Tuesday, Australia produced a disciplined all-round performance to defeat Pakistan by 41 runs to level the three-match series 1-1 and win decisively.Asked to bat first, Australia overcame early setbacks to post 231/9 in their 50 overs. Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi gave the hosts a dream start by dismissing Alex Carey for a boundary on the very first ball of the match. However, Australia’s innings was rebuilt through the vital contributions of Josh Inglis and Cameron Green.Inglis top-scored with 51 off 74 balls, while Green scored 53. Both steadied the innings after Australia slipped to 51/3, adding valuable runs in challenging batting conditions. Youngster Oliver Peck then made a late breakthrough to push Australia past the 230-run mark.Pakistan’s bowlers shared the wickets, with Shaheen leading the attack and being among the standout performers. Despite keeping Australia in check for large parts of the innings, the hosts were left chasing 232 for victory.Australia’s bowlers responded brilliantly. The visitors struck twice in the opening three overs before trapping former captain Babar Azam early, taking Pakistan to 35/3. Matthew Short and Nathan Ellis were instrumental with the ball as wickets continued to fall at regular intervals.Shadab Khan put up a spirited resistance with a fighting 71, keeping Pakistan’s hopes alive despite the destruction around him. Arafat Minhas also offered support, but the required rate continued to rise as Australia kept up the pressure.Nathan Ellis emerged as the destroyer-in-chief, posting career-best ODI figures of 4/33. Matthew Short also made a big impact, and they combined to take seven wickets to derail Pakistan’s target. Eventually, the hosts were bundled out for 190 in 44 overs, 41 runs short of the target.The victory marks a strong comeback from Australia’s opening ODI defeat and keeps the series alive until the final match. For Pakistan, Shadab’s gutsy innings was one of the few positives in an otherwise disappointing batting as they failed to capitalize on a strong start with the ball.Result: Australia 231/9 (50 overs) beat Pakistan 190 (44 overs) by 41 runs. The three-match ODI series is now tied at 1-1.
