DUBAI: Pakistan survived an onslaught by big hitter Glenn Maxwell to win the second Twenty20 international by 11 runs in a last over finish against Australia in Dubai on Friday.

Maxwell hit a chancy 37-ball 52 with four boundaries and a six but could not score the 23 runs required in the final over as Australia — chasing 148 to win — ended up at 136-8 in their 20 overs at Dubai stadium.

Pakistan were lifted to 147-6 by Babar Azam (45) and Mohammad Hafeez (40) after Sarfaraz Ahmed won the toss and opted to bat.

Pakistan won the first match by 66 runs in Abu Dhabi. The third and final match will be played in Dubai on Sunday.

The victory is Sarfaraz’s 10th T20 series win since taking over as captain in September 2016, including a tri-series win in Zimbabwe in July this year.

That highlights Pakis­tan’s number one ranking in the shortest format as they beat Australia for a second match running.

Australia were once again derailed at the outset with D’Arcy Short run out for two in a controversial manner with replays showing he had grounded the bat but was given out by television umpire Riaz Rashid.

Skipper Aaron Finch (three) and big hitter Chris Lynn (seven) failed for a second match running as Australia were struggling at 31-3.

Maxwell, dropped thrice on 18, 34 and 52, then added 30 for the fourth wicket with Mitchell Marsh (27) but Pakistan continued to take wickets to keep the Australian chase in check.

When Marsh and Ben McDermott (three) fell in quick succession Australia were in danger of falling to another under-100 total but Maxwell and Nathan Coulter-Nile fought hard during their 59-run seventh wicket stand.

When Shaheen Shah Afridi started the last over, Australia needed 23 to win.

Coulter-Nile hit a towering six off the first ball and then took a single but Maxwell holed out off the next ball to end all hopes of an Australian win.

Scoreboard

Pakistan:

Babar Azam c Finch b Short45

Fakhar Zaman c Carey b Nile11

M. Hafeez c Short b Stanlake40

Shoaib Malik c Marsh b Nile14

Asif Ali c Short b Stanlake9

Faheem Ashraf not out17

Hasan Ali c Marsh b Coulter-Nile0

Imad Wasim not out1

Extras: (lb 6, w 4)10

Total: (for 6 wickets; 20 overs)147

Did not bat: Sarfraz Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi

Fall of wickets: 1-29 (Zaman), 2-99 (Hafeez), 3-106 (Azam), 4-117 (Asif) 5-131 (Malik), 6-131 (Hasan)

Bowling: Maxwell 1-0-5-0 (1w), Coulter-Nile 3-0-18-3, Stanlake 4-0-36-2, Tye 4-0-40-0 (3w), Marsh 1-0-5-0, Zampa 4-0-21-0, Short 3-0-16-1

Australia:

A. Finch c Zaman b Shadab3

D. Short run out2

C. Lynn c Shadab b Wasim7

M. Marsh c Sarfraz b Shadab21

G. Maxwell c Malik b Shaheen52

A. Carey c Zaman b Hafeez1

B. McDermott run out3

N. Coulter-Nile c Asif b Shaheen27

A. Tye not out2

A. Zampa not out0

Extras: (lb13, w5)18

Total: (for 8 wickets; 20 overs)136

Did not bat: B. Stanlake

Fall of wickets: 1-11 (Short), 2-19 (Lynn), 3-31 (Finch), 4-61 (Marsh), 5-62 (Carey), 6-73 (McDermott), 7-132 (Maxwell), 8-134 (Coulter-Nile)

Bowling: Wasim 4-1-8-1 (1w), Ashraf 3-0-14-0, Shadab 4-0-30-2, Shaheen 4-0-35-2 (4w), Hasan 4-0-32-0, Hafeez 1-0-4-1

Result: Pakistan won by 11 runs

Published in Dawn, October 27th , 2018

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