DUBAI, United Arab Emirates: Top-ranked Pakistan put in another clinical performance to beat Australia by 33 runs in the third and final Twenty20 match and completed a 3-0 series sweep on Sunday.
Australia finished its disappointing tour without a win as it also lost the test series 1-0 after narrowly escaping with a draw in the first test.
Babar Azam (50) notched his second half century of the series off 40 balls as Pakistan scored 150-5 after captain Sarfraz Ahmed won the toss and opted to bat.
The Australian chase fell off for the third successive time and was bowled out for 117 in 19.1 overs with leg-spinner Shadab Khan grabbing 3-19 and Shoaib Malik taking three smart catches in the deep.
“Boys have worked hard and the result is just the reward,” said Ahmed, who won his 10th consecutive T20 series.
Shadab could have finished with at least two more wickets had he not dropped D’Arcy Short off his own bowling and Faheem Ashraf dropped a sitter from Andrew Tye.
Azam and Sahibzaba Farhan (39), who was given his first game of the series, gave Pakistan a solid start of 93 before both fell in successive overs.
Farhan struck three sixes and two fours before he holed out in the deep while Azam got a big inside edge to Tye after hitting five fours and a six.
Australia came back through wrist spinner Adam Zampa (1-25) and a tidy spell of 0-27 by Short before Mohammad Hafeez (32 not out off 20 balls) and Malik (18 off 12) lifted the total.
Alex Carey gave Australia a whirlwind start of 20 when he smashed left-arm spinner Imad Wasim for two sixes and two boundaries in the first over.
But Australia’s top order faltered for the third time in a row through some reckless shot selection.
Carey tried to turn around Hafeez’s first delivery and got a leading edge; Chris Lynn swept Shadab’s first ball and was caught at midwicket; and Glenn Maxwell played a needless big shot to give Malik one of his three catches.
Ben McDermott (21) was run out for the third time in the series and Mitchell Marsh, who also scored 21, gave an easy catch at long on.
Pakistan sweeps Australia 3-0 in Twenty20 series
Pakistan sweeps Australia 3-0 in Twenty20 series
Alcaraz and Sabalenka set sights on Australian Open fourth round
- Spanish world number one Alcaraz came through a tough three-set arm-wrestle in round two
- Top seed Sabalenka, a two-time Australian Open champion, faces Russia-born Austrian Anastasia Potapova
MELBOURNE: Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka return to the Australian Open battlefield on Friday with fourth round berths at stake, joined in the fight by third seeds Coco Gauff and Alexander Zverev.
Spanish world number one Alcaraz came through a tough three-set arm-wrestle in round two and faces another tricky encounter against French 32nd seed Corentin Moutet.
The 22-year-old has again been handed an afternoon match on Rod Laver Arena, once more following Sabalenka on to Melbourne Park’s center court.
The Belarusian top seed Sabalenka, a two-time Australian Open champion, faces Russia-born Austrian Anastasia Potapova to kick-off day six where temperatures are forecast to soar.
Alcaraz, who is bidding for a career Grand Slam of all four majors, said his testing 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 6-2 victory over Yannick Hanfmann in round two served him well.
“I’m still getting used to the conditions, getting used to playing better,” said the six-time Grand Slam winner.
“Just happy that I’m just improving every day after every match. So hopefully being better in the next round.”
Alcaraz has never gone past the quarter-finals in his four trips to Australia.
Should he beat Moutet, he will meet either American 19th seed Tommy Paul or Spanish 14th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina to make the last eight once again.
Sabalenka, as the overwhelming favorite, was upset by Madison Keys in last year’s final but insists revenge is not her motivation.
“I look at each match as a new match, new opportunity. I have also been working really hard,” she said.
“For me, it doesn’t matter what was in the past. For me, it’s the new match.”
Like Sabalenka, Gauff has been impressive so far, saying she was “near perfect” in making the third round.
She faces fellow American Hailey Baptiste, ranked 70, on Margaret Court Arena.
World number three Gauff takes to the court after Russia’s three-time runner-up Daniil Medvedev, who lines up against Hungary’s Fabian Marozan.
Last year’s beaten finalist Zverev has dropped a set in both his opening two matches and will have a tough encounter in an evening clash on John Cain Arena against British 26th seed Cameron Norrie.
Women’s seventh seed Jasmine Paolini and men’s 10th seed Alexander Bublik are also in action.
Home hope and sixth seed Alex De Minaur has again been awarded the night match on center court, this time against dangerous American Frances Tiafoe.
Eighth seed Mirra Andreeva rounds out the day’s action on Rod Laver Arena in a clash with Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse.
