Haris Rauf was the standout performer for Pakistan in the second ODI at Adelaide Oval, claiming a fiery 5 for 29 to dismiss Australia for just 163, putting Pakistan in a strong position to level the series. Rauf’s pace caused consistent problems for Australia’s middle order, with his brilliant delivery to remove Marnus Labuschagne standing out as one of his key moments. This performance marked Rauf’s second five-wicket haul in ODIs, and his figures of 17-0-96-8 across two innings reflected his dominance.
In addition to Rauf’s devastating performance, which featured four wickets with wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan’s assistance, Rizwan tied the record for the most wicketkeeper dismissals in an ODI with six. Rizwan was instrumental to Pakistan’s victory, although he was unable to create a new record due to a lost catch in the closing seconds.
One of the few batters to put up some effort on a surface that appeared to favor the bowlers was Steven Smith, who led Australia in scoring with 35. Even though the grass was well-covered, Australia’s collapse was unexpected considering the pitch’s appearance and Rauf’s pace, which bothered the Australian batsmen’s footwork throughout the innings.
Australia’s new opening pair, Matt Short and Jake Fraser-McGurk, continued to struggle. Both had faced criticism after the first ODI, with Ian Healy calling them “schoolyard bullies” for their aggressive approach. In the second ODI, the pair failed to build on any early promise, and they were both dismissed cheaply inside the first seven overs.
Fraser-McGurk started brightly, hitting three boundaries in the second over, including a stylish back-foot cover drive. However, he was dismissed lbw by Shaheen Shah Afridi while attempting to drive a full delivery. Short had a narrow escape on 8 when Afridi spilled a straightforward catch at deep square leg, but he couldn’t make the most of his fortune. Shortly after, he was dismissed for 11 when he cut a wide delivery to cover, where Babar Azam took a sharp catch.
Australia’s batting continued to falter as Smith, who had looked in good touch, was also fortunate to survive a chance early on when a cut shot off Rauf was spilled by Saim Ayub at point. Smith, however, could not make the most of his luck, as Rauf claimed his first wicket when Josh Inglis got a glove on a pull shot down the leg side.
Rauf then dismissed Labuschagne with a perfect delivery that straightened from off stump, forcing Labuschagne to play and edging the ball through to Rizwan. Aaron Hardie fell in similar fashion, playing forward to a fuller delivery, while Glenn Maxwell, after hitting one reverse sweep for six, dragged on an attempted pull shot.
Hasnain also made a significant impact, removing Smith, who was close to being dismissed lbw the ball before his departure. The DRS showed the ball would have clipped leg stump, but Smith fell the very next ball when he top-edged a short, wide delivery.
Naseem Shah claimed his first wicket of the match when he found Mitchell Starc’s outside edge. Rauf completed his five-wicket haul with a top edge from Pat Cummins, and Australia’s innings came to an end when Rizwan dropped a top edge from Adam Zampa. Zampa managed to hit just the second six of his ODI career before falling to Shaheen, as Australia were bowled out for 163.
Although a few players showed some short-term resilience, Australia’s batting display was mostly unimpressive. Lack of collaborations contributed to the collapse, as Rauf’s speed proved too much for the middle order in Australia. Now that Pakistan is in a great position, the series is evenly balanced, and the last ODI is expected to be a pivotal match.
