Rauf and Ayub star in Pakistan’s stunning 9-wicket win over Australia

Australia were 163 all out in 35 overs against Rauf’s relentless pace and the left-handed Ayub hit six sixes and five fours as Pakistan reached 169 for 1 in 26.3 overs to level the three-match series.

Former captain Babar Azam secured the win with a pulled six off Adam Zampa, while Abdullah Shafique remained unbeaten with a run-a-ball 64 that included four boundaries and three sixes.

The series decider will be played in Perth on Sunday, with Australia resting five frontline players to prepare for the five-match home Test series against India starting November 22 in Perth.

The opening pair of Ayub and Shafique had been criticized for a series of low scores in Test matches, but both slowed Australia’s pace with a winning stand of 137 runs after Pakistan continued to trust the duo in the white-ball format.

Ayub took his time against Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc before gaining confidence, hitting Pat Cummins, Starc and Aaron Hardie for sixes and also smashing Zampa for two big hits.

The left-hander, who made his ODI debut at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Monday, was given a reprieve just before his half-century when Zampa dropped a sitter at third man, but he offered a tame catch at short third just as he looked Man designed for a century.

Earlier, Rauf, who almost secured victory for Pakistan in the first game, kept finding the outside edges of the bat by hitting the right lengths.

Captain Mohammad Rizwan took five catches – four from Rauf’s bowling – and could have had a sixth had he not given Zampa a top edge before Australia were dismissed after Pakistan won the toss and elected to punt on a lively Adelaide To play wicket.

Shaheen Shah Afridi made the breakthrough in the first power play. Jake Fraser-McGurk hit three crisp boundaries on the offside in Naseem Shah’s first over to get Australia rolling before Afridi’s double hit pushed Australia back.

Afridi dropped Matt Short at deep fine leg as the ball shot through his hands towards the boundary, but the left-arm fast bowler made amends when he caught Short at covers after catching Fraser-McGurk’s plumb leg in front of the wicket caught.

Afridi ended Australia’s subpar innings when Zampa played a full ball back onto his stumps. Zampa hit Naseem Shah for a six and a four in one over, which enabled the home team to cross the 150-run mark.

Rauf cut through the middle line with only Steve Smith scoring 35 off 48 balls, before he too chased a long, short ball from Mohammad Hasnain and edged behind the wicket.

Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood replaced Sean Abbott in the only change Australia made to the team that beat Pakistan in the first game.

Starc, Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Cummins and Hazlewood are all rested for the final game of the series on Sunday. Wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis has been named interim captain for the final ODI in Perth.

Inglis will also lead the side in next week’s three T20 matches against Pakistan as Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head are on paternity leave.

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