Agha, spinners raze Australia and wrap up series for Pakistan

Australia may have fielded a stronger side in the second T20I, but they were no match for a near-flawless Pakistan team, who crushed Australia by 90 runs to seal the series with a game to spare. It is Australia's biggest T20I defeat since 2005, and second biggest overall, and Pakistan's largest victory over Australia.

A splendid innings from a resurgent Salman Agha, who struck a career-best 76 off 40 balls, got Pakistan flying, while Usman Khan also posted his highest T20I score, his 53 off 36 helping Pakistan surge to 198. Much like the first game, Agha and Saim Ayub flayed the Australian attack during the powerplay, putting together 55 in 25 balls, the 72 they managed in the powerplay Pakistan's third T20I score during this phase.

While Adam Zampa's introduction did put the brakes on - and remove Babar Azam cheaply for the second consecutive game - the visitors could never properly rein Pakistan in enough to give their batters a proper go. Xavier Bartlett in particular bore the brunt of Pakistan's belligerence, conceding 52 in his four and 14 in the final over as Pakistan got to within touching distance of 200.

With Australia falling so far short in their chase of 169 on Thursday, this was always a tall order. They did have the superior experience and batting pedigree of Mitchell Marsh and Josh Inglis, but Pakistan's spinners in these conditions are a well-oiled unit, and have a knack of breaking partnerships in their embryonic stages. The biggest partnership Australia managed was 24 runs, with Abrar and Shadab accounting for six of the Australian wickets. Cameron Green's takedown of Ayub in the final over of the powerplay, where the latter was smashed for two sixes and a four, represented the flicker of a challenge, one that Pakistan swiftly extinguished as the visitors were skittled for 108.

In a rain-shortened game against Sri Lanka earlier this month, Agha defied all preconceptions of his inability to power-hit, smashing 45 in 12 balls. It appears to have flicked a switch in his mind, with his attacking game carrying on apace. Coming in at No.3, a spot he looks to have made his own just ahead of the World Cup, he danced down the track first ball to pick up his first boundary, setting the tone for what was to follow.

Matthew Kuhnemann was singled out for punishment in the fourth over, the Pakistan captain sensing an opportunity with the powerplay still active. Two boundaries and a six got Pakistan past 50 in 4.1 overs, and a six off Cooper Connoly saw Agha speed to 43 in his first 16 balls.

With the field spreading out and Zampa coming into the attack, a relative slowdown was inevitable, but Agha ensured Pakistan's had built up enough momentum to prevent the innings from petering out. He signalled the end of the powerplay did not mean an end to his aggression, a slog-swept six off Zampa, and a takedown of Bartlett in the following over a sign of his continuing bellicose ambitions. By the time he finally miscued a reverse sweep, he had struck a career-best 76 off 40.

Zampa and Abrar Ahmed were the obvious standout stars in the first game, but while Australia waited till post-powerplay to introduce Zampa once more, Pakistan sensed an opportunity to get Abrar involved early. With Marsh starting brightly, Abrar found himself with the ball in the third over, and immediately began putting his variations through their paces. He started with a slow legbreak, following it up with a flipper and flighting the third one high. Unperturbed by a drag-down Marsh swatted it away for six, but Abrar continued to be brave skidding the final ball of the over through and hitting the front pad in front of the stumps.

After Ayub removed Travis Head, Abrar returned in the fifth over to dismiss Josh Inglis with one of the deliveries of his spell, a wrong'un fooling the batter and catching him plumb in front. By the end of the fifth over, Australia had been reduced to 29 for 3, with the game as good as gone.