Pakistan skittled for 117 in final T20 against Australia

HOBART: Aaron Hardie took three wickets as Pakistan crashed to a meagre 117 all out in the final game of their T20 series against Australia at Hobart’s Bellerive Oval on Monday.

The hosts have already wrapped up the series after winning a rain-hit match in Brisbane by 29 runs and then in Sydney by 13 runs.

After opting to bat, Pakistan were 62-1 before losing focus to be dismissed in the 19th over with Babar Azam top-scoring on 41.

Hardie took 3-21 while spinner Adam Zampa and quick Spencer Johnson grabbed two wickets each.

Pakistan opted to rest captain and wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan, with Sahibzada Farhan moving up the order to open with Azam.

But on a chilly evening, the partnership failed to fire with Farhan lasting just seven balls before top-edging a short one from Johnson – fresh from taking five wickets in Sydney – to Xavier Bartlett.

Johnson bags five as Australia beat Pakistan to seal T20 series

Azam produced a series of elegant strokes as he and Haseebullah Khan put on a quickfire 44 for the second wicket.

But Kahn was no match for Zampa’s spin, collecting an outside edge on 24 to Matt Short.

Pakistan’s woes mounted with Usman Khan (3) caught on the ropes after slogging Hardie and skipper Salman Agha trapped lbw by the same bowler for one.

It left them reeling on 72-4 at the halfway mark and when Zampa bowled Azam and Irfan Khan (10) was needlessly run out they were in deep trouble.

Shaheen Shah Afridi blasted the only six of the innings, but didn’t last as the tailenders were mopped up.

A concern for Australia was Glenn Maxwell leaving the field midway through with an apparent left hamstring problem.