Australia beat Pakistan by five wickets in the second day-night international in Dubai on Friday, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Pakistan squandered an opening stand of 126 between openers Sarfraz Ahmed (65) and Ahmed Shahzad (61) as they were bowled out for 215 in 49.3 overs. Paceman Mitchell Johnson took 3-40. Australia survived early jolts to reach their target in 43.2 overs, with Glenn Maxwell (76) and skipper George Bailey (28) sharing an 85-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
The third and final match will be played in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. Paceman Mitchell Johnson bowled with fire to restrict Pakistan to 215. Pakistan, trailing the three-match series 1-0, looked well on course for a big total after Ahmed (65) and Shahzad (61) put on a rare 126-run stand for the opening wicket but Australia hit back to take the last nine wickets for a mere 89 runs to be bowled out in 49.3 overs.
Johnson, who took 3-24 in Australia's 93-run win in the first one-day, put the brakes on the innings dismissing Ahmed, Umar Akmal (five) and Shahid Afridi (two) to finish with 3-40 in a fiery 10-over spell. Pakistan, who the toss and batted, cruised to their first century stand in 44 innings as Ahmed and Shahzad batted with authority against a spin-cum pace attack.
Ahmed, promoted to open the innings in this series, reached his maiden half-century off 60 balls while Shahzad took 63 balls to his eighth. He hit five boundaries and a six off 72 balls. Shahzad hit five boundaries in his 82-ball knock. Pakistan's last opening stand in a one-dayer was between Mohammad Hafeez and Nasir Jamshed against India at Kolkatta in January 2013.
As Pakistan tried to build on the opening stand, out-of-form skipper Misbah-ul Haq was run out by a brilliant throw from covers by Glenn Maxwell after making just 15. Pakistan couldn't recover from the jolt as Asad Shafiq (29) and Fawad Alam (20 not out) laboured through their innings as Pakistan managed just 29 runs in the final ten slog overs. Both teams added a left-arm spinner to their first-match line-up, Australia bringing in Xavier Doherty and Pakistan handing a one-day debut to Raza Hasan.
SCOREBOARD:
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Pakistan
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A. Shahzad c Smith b Doherty 61
S. Ahmed c Maxwell b Johnson 65
A. Shafiq c Johnson b Lyon 29
Misbah-ul Haq run out 15
U. Akmal c Smith b Johnson 5
Fawad Alam not out 20
S. Afridi c Smith b Johnson 2
W. Riaz b Richardson 2
R. Hasan run out 0
Z. Babar c Maxwell b Faulkner 6
M. Irfan run out 0
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Extras: (lb2, w8) 10
Total: (all out, 49.3 overs) 215
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Fall of wickets: 1-126 (Shahzad), 2-130 (Sarfraz), 3-159 (Misbah), 4-168 (Akmal), 5-185 (Shafiq), 6-199 (Afridi), 7-203 (Riaz), 8-204 (Hasan)
Bowling: Johnson 10-0-40-3 (3w), Richardson 9.3-0-43-1 (4w), Doherty 10-0-44-1, Faulkner 7-0-27-1, Lyon 10-0-40-1 (1w), Maxwell 3-0-19-0.
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Australia
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D. Warner c Irfan b Hasan 29
A. Finch c Ahmed b Irfan 14
S. Smith c Ahmed b Babar 12
G. Bailey run out 28
G. Maxwell c Shafiq b Babar 76
J. Faulkner not out 26
B. Haddin not out 17
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Extras: (lb3, w12) 15
Total: (for five wkts; 43.2 overs) 217
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Fall of wickets: 1-22 (Finch), 2-39 (Smith), 3-72 (Warner), 4-157 (Bailey), 5-178 (Maxwell)
Bowling: Hasan 10-0-68-1 (2w), Irfan 9.2-0-42-1, Babar 10-1-52-2 (7w), Afridi 10-0-36-0 (2w), Riaz 2.2-0-7-0 (1w), Shahzad 1.4-0-9-0 Result: Australia win by five wickets
Toss: Pakistan
Umpires: Shozaib Raza (PAK) and Nigel Llong (ENG)
Tv umpire: Richard Illingworth (ENG)
Match referee: Javagal Srinath.
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