Australia held their nerve in a tense finish at the SCG, defeating Pakistan by 13 runs to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the T20I series. The hosts defended 147, thanks to a brilliant five-wicket haul by Spencer Johnson and a composed final over by Nathan Ellis, despite a spirited fight from Pakistan’s Irfan Khan and Usman Khan.
After being put into bat, Australia raced to 50 in just 3.1 overs before Pakistan clawed back through Haris Rauf, who delivered a stunning spell. Rauf’s 4/22, including wickets of Jake Fraser-McGurk and Josh Inglis in consecutive deliveries, prevented Australia from capitalizing on their blistering start. Matthew Short (32 off 17) and Aaron Hardie (28 off 23) contributed crucial runs, while dropped catches by Pakistan helped the Aussies post 147/9.
Chasing 148, Pakistan stumbled early, losing captain Babar Azam cheaply. Mohammad Rizwan and Sahibzada Farhan struggled to build momentum against a disciplined Australian attack. Spencer Johnson delivered a game-changing spell, claiming 5/26, including key wickets of Rizwan, Salman Agha, and Usman Khan, who top-scored with 52.
Irfan Khan fought valiantly with an unbeaten 37, keeping Pakistan’s hopes alive with a late flurry, but Nathan Ellis redeemed his earlier expensive spell by conceding just three runs in a tense final over.
Brief Scores:
- Australia: 147/9 in 20 overs (Matthew Short 32, Aaron Hardie 28; Haris Rauf 4/22)
- Pakistan: 134 in 19.3 overs (Usman Khan 52, Irfan Khan 37*; Spencer Johnson 5/26)
- Result: Australia won by 13 runs
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