Pakistan Win Thriller In Dubai

Pakistan Win Thriller In Dubai

Saeed Ajmal (centre) took two wickets in Australia's run chase.

©REUTERS/Nikhil Monteiro. Picture Supplied by Action Images

Pakistan 151-4 (Jamshed 45, Starc 1-17) beat
Australia 151-8 (Bailey 42, Ajmal 2-20)
Match won via a one-over eliminator
Second Twenty20 International, Dubai
Scorecard

Pakistan won a sensational match in Dubai to clinch their three-game Twenty20 International series against Australia with a match still to play. A super-over was needed to separate the two sides after they had both ended on 151 from their 20 overs. 

Australia batted first in the super-over and made 11 for one as Umar Gul hit his yorkers with precision, and only a bit of improvisation from David Warner provided a boundary. Pakistan then got the equation down to three needed from two balls, but they could only scramble one run from the fifth ball. 

It then emerged after lengthy consultations that Pakistan actually needed only one run from the final ball as, if the super-over was tied, then they would win on boundary count. Pat Cummins duly obliged with a high loopy bouncer that was declared a wide and Pakistan celebrated.

Cummins had earlier smashed the penultimate ball of the main match for six to bring the scores level, but he was caught off the final ball with only a single needed to bring about the super-over.

Pakistan had looked to have the match won following the dismissal of George Bailey for 42 off 27 balls from the first ball of the final over which left Australia needing 10 from five balls. This became seven from two three singles later, but Cummins blasted Abdul Razzaq’s fifth ball over mid-wicket to give Australia the advantage with a ball to go, only for Cummins to be caught off the leading edge by Imran Nazir.

Bailey had helped Australia prosper following another excellent spell from Saeed Ajmal, during which he had dispensed with David Warner (31 off 19 balls) and Shane Watson (33 off 28) after they had put on 40 for the first wicket inside five overs. Mike Hussey departed in the 16th over with the score on 109 as Australia looked like wobbling, but Bailey, and ultimately Cummins, kept them in it.

Pakistan had earlier made 151 for four from their 20 overs after electing to bat. Mitchell Starc had continued his impressive recent form by bowling Imran Nazir with the second ball of his T20 International career, but Mohammad Hafeez and Nasir Jamshed both hit 45 and added 76 for the second-wicket from 67 balls to begin the recovery. Kamran Akmal added the late momentum with an unbeaten 26-ball 43 as the nominal home side enjoyed a good finish to their innings – one that, in the end, was to prove just good enough.

© Cricket World 2012