Salman Ali Agha stars as Pakistan hand Australia their biggest T20I defeat in 19 years

New Delhi: Salman Ali Agha-led Pakistan dominated Australia’s strong playing XI as they crushed the visitors by 90 runs to wrap up the series with a match to spare. The defeat was Australia’s heaviest in T20Is since 2005, their second-biggest overall, whereas Pakistan’s largest-ever win over Australia in the format.

Salman Agha took the charge as he smashed a career-best 76

Salman Agha took the charge as he hammered a career-best 76 off 40 deliveries. Usman Khan also made a key contribution, registering his highest T20I score with a fluent 53 off 36 balls as Pakistan piled up a challenging total of 198. As in the opening game, Agha and Saim Ayub tore into the Australian bowling during the powerplay, adding 55 in just 25 balls, with the 72-run powerplay standing as Pakistan’s third-highest in T20Is.

Although Adam Zampa’s introduction slowed Pakistan down and dismissed Babar Azam cheaply for the second consecutive match. Xavier Bartlett conceded 52 runs in his four overs and 14 in the final over as Pakistan pushed close to the 200-run mark.

Chasing 169 after a heavy defeat on Thursday, Australia faced a daunting task. Despite the experience and class of Mitchell Marsh and Josh Inglis, Pakistan’s spinners exploited the conditions expertly, breaking partnerships early.

The largest partnership Australia managed to stitch was just 24 runs, with Abrar and Shadab claiming six wickets between them. Cameron Green’s dismissal of Saim Ayub in the final over of the powerplay, after Ayub had hit two sixes and a four, was the only brief flicker of hope for the visitors before Pakistan wrapped up the innings, bowling Australia out for 108.

Adam Zampa and Abrar Ahmed had been the standout players

In the first two T20Is, Zampa and Abrar Ahmed had been the standout players. Pakistan opted to use Abrar early, while Australia waited until after the powerplay to reintroduce Zampa into the attack. Mitchell Marsh got off to a confident start, and when Abrar was handed the ball in the third over, he showed off his variations right away.

He flew the third delivery high after starting with a slow leg break and a flipper. Abrar remained calm and struck Marsh on the front pad in front of the stumps with the last ball of the over after Marsh cleared one for six.

Following Travis Head’s dismissal off Saim Ayub’s delivery, Abrar came back in the fifth over and produced one of the match’s best deliveries, a deceptive wrong’un that trapped Josh Inglis plumb in front and ended the over with a crucial breakthrough.