Pakistan Breaks Asian Record in Australia with Dominant Nine-Wicket Win in Second ODI

Pakistan, led by Mohammad Rizwan, pulled off an impressive nine-wicket win over world champions Australia in the second ODI of the three-match series at Adelaide Oval on Friday. Chasing a modest target of 164, Pakistan reached the mark comfortably within 27 overs, securing their first victory in Australia in seven years. Their last win on Australian soil was back in January 2017, when a Mohammad Hafeez-led Pakistan defeated a Steve Smith-led Australia by six wickets.

Haris Rauf was instrumental in dismantling Australia’s lineup, taking five wickets to limit the hosts to 163 runs. Pakistan’s openers, Saim Ayub and Abdullah Shafiq, then took charge, scoring 82 and 64, respectively, to steer the team to victory. Following the win, Rizwan expressed satisfaction, saying, "This win gives us confidence. We want to keep that confidence going. All bowlers had plans and they worked well."

With this win, Pakistan achieved their 35th ODI victory over Australia and set a record for the highest number of ODI wins in Australia by an Asian team, surpassing Sri Lanka and India. Pakistan’s 18 victories in Australia put them ahead of Sri Lanka’s 16 wins from 56 matches and India’s 14 wins from 54 matches. This victory also marked Pakistan's largest ODI win over Australia in terms of balls remaining and their biggest win by wickets against the Australian side.

The opening partnership between Saim Ayub and Abdullah Shafiq was noteworthy as well, becoming Pakistan's second-highest ODI opening stand against Australia. The record for the highest remains with Mudassar Nazar and Mohsin Khan, who scored 141 runs together in 1985.

With the series now tied 1-1, the decider will take place in Perth on November 10, where both teams will vie for the series win.