RESULT
3rd ODI (D/N), Abu Dhabi, March 27, 2019, Pakistan v Australia
(44.4/50 ov, T:267) 186

Australia won by 80 runs

Player Of The Match
3/23
pat-cummins
New
PAK
Full commentary

10.55pm Zampa has a career-best 4 for 43 and Australia have wrapped up a series win - their sixth in a row against Pakistan. Australia were setting today, and their 266 for 6 was built around Finch's 90, with Maxwell's breezy 71 providing the coda. With the pitch juiced up by the persistent drizzle, Cummins burst through the top order and Zampa mopped up the tail.

"It wasn't the easiest wicket to start on," says Glenn Maxwell. "Once I got through that, it got easier. To win six in a row, to win with this team, has been amazing. We're peaking at the right time. We've been really focused about what we want to do here. We want to build on this momentum. [The ball] is coming out alright. It's been a continual build for our team since last year, and we're starting to get it right."

Pat Cummins is the Player of the Match

"It was a little bit greasy out there underfoot, and it took me a few over to get used to it," says Cummins. "Me and [Behrendorff] had a good partnership, and they nicked a few. It felt alright, thanks to management and Finchy they gave me a couple of games off, and it was nice to come back today fresh. Fresh legs helps [in the field too]."

"The total was in our hands, but when you're playing in Abu Dhabi it's always tough, anything over 250," says Shoaib Malik. "Keeping wickets and going deep in the game, that's where you create the chance, but we couldn't do that. The Aussie bowlers were seaming and swinging the ball around. If you give couple of chances to a good batsman, then expect to chase something big. Getting opportunities and grabbing them is the key of the game. We are trying to give all the players chances so selection committee and team management have a better picture in front of them. Every game is important. We have two more opportunities. If we win two games, we have something in our pocket."

"We've played some consistent cricket," says Aaron Finch. "We've been building up and doing the basics well. Any time you can beat India and Pakistan in their home conditions is good. We're playing spin a lot better than we have in the past. Handscomb played a good innings before he was knocked over by a good ball. Partnerships don't allow the opposition to get on top. That's been an improvement. Maxwell and Handscomb both played great knocks. As a captain, it's very hard to set fields to guys like that."

Finch on missing out on his hundred: "I got a bit impatient. I got a bit greedy. I was struggling out there to be honest. I don't know how many times I hit the guy at cover. If we had lost tonight, it would have been my fault for batting so slow. But we ended up getting a good score on a difficult wicket. The rain put a bit of moisture in the wicket, and Cummins and Behrendorff exploited that. Our spinners were incredibly good again."

And that's all from your commentary team, Andrew McGlashan and Liam Brickhill. Australia will go to the fourth ODI in Dubai on Friday with the series in the bag. Pakistan have two more chances to get it right. Until next time, goodbye!

Najeem Akbar: "How you expect a team to win when they play 150+ dot balls in 44.4 overs?"

Mohammad Ehtesh: "We can see Imad Wasim's genuine all rounding capabilities as well as his mindset for finishing each innings. When Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman and potentially Asif Ali in for the WC, Imad should be in a decent position to finish off games on a high! "

Jesuran Jonatha: "Australia also have 150+ dot balls" -- Fair point, but they also hit more boundaries and ran many more twos


44.4
W
Zampa to Mohammad Hasnain, OUT

there's a review. Zampa floats a googly up high and it rushes in to beat Hasnain's inside edge and hit him on the back leg. The appeal is turned down, but they ask for a review. Three reds, and he's gone!

Mohammad Hasnain lbw b Zampa 0 (1b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0

Hamza: "You could say Imad was attempting a run there given how far down the wicket he was, thus making the it legal :)" -- In any case, won't have any effect on the result

44.3
W
Zampa to Junaid, OUT

Zampa has his third! Tossed up high and Junaid takes the bait, slogging wildly to send a swirling top edge into the air. Carey calls for it, and holds it with a reverse cup with his helmet grille slipping back over his head

Junaid Khan c †Carey b Zampa 5 (8b 0x4 0x6) SR: 62.5
44.2
2
Zampa to Junaid, 2 runs

slapped down to wide long on

44.1
1
Zampa to Yasir Shah, 1 run

legbreak, spinning away from an off stump line to be punched to cover

Zampa will complete his quota

end of over 445 runs
PAK: 183/8CRR: 4.15 RRR: 14.00
Junaid Khan3 (6b)
Yasir Shah9 (16b)
Pat Cummins 8-1-23-3
Adam Zampa 9-1-40-2
43.6
Cummins to Junaid, no run

bursting off a length outside off, and past Junaid's fend

43.5
1
Cummins to Yasir Shah, 1 run

pitched right up at close to 139km/h, and it's flicked off the toes

43.4
1
Cummins to Junaid, 1 run

This is what the rules say: 27.3 Position of wicket-keeper

27.3.1 The wicket-keeper shall remain wholly behind the wicket at the striker's end from the moment the ball comes into play until a ball delivered by the bowler

touches the bat or person of the striker or

passes the wicket at the striker's end or

the striker attempts a run.

43.3
2
Cummins to Junaid, 2 runs

chopped down through gully

43.2
Cummins to Junaid, no run

pushed to mid off

43.1
1
Cummins to Yasir Shah, 1 run

a leading edge balloons off a pull, but the ball bounces safely in no-man's land at deep backward square

Cummins returns to mop up the tail

end of over 43Wicket maiden
PAK: 178/8CRR: 4.13 RRR: 12.71
Junaid Khan0 (2b)
Yasir Shah7 (14b)
Adam Zampa 9-1-40-2
Nathan Lyon 10-0-48-1
42.6
Zampa to Junaid, no run

pushed through outside off, and he thrusts the pad out and leaves it alone

Matt: "TV commentators saying Carey's take for the stumping was legal. You can clearly see part of the glove in front of the stumps on the replay, so it should have been a no ball, no?" -- There was a sliver in front of the stumps, though the ball landed in his gloves behind them. And the shot had been played

42.5
Zampa to Junaid, no run

floated up on off stump, and it's dug out to cover

Slip comes in

42.4
W
Zampa to Usman Shinwari, OUT

slugged straight to mid off! Two in the over for Zampa. He flights up a legbreak, inviting the big shot, but Shinwari's slog can only get as far as Behrendorff at deep mid off

Usman Shinwari c Behrendorff b Zampa 0 (3b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0
42.3
Zampa to Usman Shinwari, no run

googly, spinning in to him

42.2
Zampa to Usman Shinwari, no run

slightly quicker at 88km/h, and it's pushed defensively to off

42.1
W
Zampa to Imad Wasim, OUT

Imad runs past a googly and is easily stumped. He was also slightly done in the flight, having jumped down the track. And Pakistan sink a little further. The take from Carey is very close to the stumps ... in front of them? Will have to see a replay. Anyway, Imad marches off

Imad Wasim st †Carey b Zampa 43 (53b 4x4 0x6) SR: 81.13
end of over 425 runs
PAK: 178/6CRR: 4.23 RRR: 11.12
Yasir Shah7 (14b)
Imad Wasim43 (52b 4x4)
Nathan Lyon 10-0-48-1
Adam Zampa 8-0-40-0
41.6
Lyon to Yasir Shah, no run

slightly short, but Yasir's pull goes straight to midwicket

41.5
1
Lyon to Imad Wasim, 1 run

punched down to long on for one

41.4
2
Lyon to Imad Wasim, 2 runs

Imad turns around into a reverse slog-sweep, but it doesn't go the distance, plugging in the outfield towards third man. Handscomb makes excellent ground around the boundary, diving to save runs

Abdullah Ghayyo: "Regardless of pakistani team failure in this series, i am impressed with imad's batting approach in lower middle order. He seems to be more organized & fluent with batting as comapred to many others in this lineup."

41.3
1
Lyon to Yasir Shah, 1 run

slightly too short, outside off, and he's punched out to the cover sweeper

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