HOBART, Australia — Marcus Stoinis delivered a blistering unbeaten 61 off 27 balls as Australia secured a commanding seven-wicket victory over Pakistan in the final T20I, completing a 3-0 series sweep on Monday.
The series opener in Brisbane saw Australia claim a 29-run victory in a rain-affected seven-overs-a-side clash. The second T20I witnessed fast bowler Spencer Johnson shine with a career-best 5/26, guiding the hosts to a 13-run win.
Stoinis Powers Australia’s Chase
In the final game, Stoinis dominated Pakistan’s bowling attack, smashing five sixes—three off Shaheen Shah Afridi in a single over—and five boundaries. His explosive innings helped Australia chase down Pakistan’s modest total of 117, finishing at 118/3 in just 11.2 overs.
Pakistan’s pace duo, Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf, struggled in the one-sided contest, conceding 77 runs in their six overs combined.
Pakistan’s Batting Struggles Continue
Pakistan’s batting woes were evident as they collapsed to 117 in 18.1 overs after losing nine wickets for just 56 runs. Captain Salman Ali Agha and Haseebullah Khan, brought in as replacements for Mohammad Rizwan and Naseem Shah, couldn’t capitalize on a promising start in the powerplay.
Leg-spinner Adam Zampa triggered Pakistan’s downfall, dismissing Haseebullah with a catch at short fine leg before clean-bowling Babar Azam with a well-executed googly.
Babar Azam, despite his team’s struggles, surpassed Virat Kohli’s T20I run tally of 4,188, moving to second place with 4,192 runs in 126 matches. He now trails only Rohit Sharma, who leads with 4,231 runs in 159 games.
Australia’s Bowlers Dominate
Aaron Hardie dismissed Usman Khan and Salman Ali Agha in quick succession, while Shaheen Afridi’s late cameo of 16 runs, including two fours and a six, barely pushed Pakistan past the 100-run mark. Johnson, named Player of the Series, sealed the innings by clean-bowling Sufiyan Muqeem.
Clinical Finish by Australia
Chasing 118, Australia faced minor hiccups with openers Jake Fraser-McGurk and Matthew Short falling early. However, a steady partnership between captain Josh Inglis and Stoinis ensured a smooth finish. Inglis departed in the 10th over, but Stoinis closed the game in style, hammering Shaheen Afridi for three sixes and a four in one over.
Pakistan Reflects on T20 Struggles
Pakistan, despite winning the preceding ODI series 2-1, continued to struggle in the T20 format. Reflecting on the series loss, skipper Salman Ali Agha admitted, “Winning the ODI series was a big achievement, but we could have performed much better in the T20s. We failed to capitalize in the middle overs.”
Australia’s dominant display in the series highlighted their T20 prowess, leaving Pakistan with critical areas to address ahead of future campaigns.
