Confident Pakistan Eye Rare Series Win Against Weakened Australia

Big Picture: Pakistan Confident, Australia Shorthanded

Australian pitches have often been a challenging terrain for Pakistan, but with fast bowler Haris Rauf’s fiery performance, they are on the brink of a rare series victory. Heading into Sunday’s decider at the Optus Stadium, Pakistan is brimming with confidence after a commanding nine-wicket win in Adelaide.

While it’s always risky to be overly optimistic about a team as unpredictable as Pakistan, they enter the final ODI in Perth as favorites. They arguably should have secured the series earlier, if not for Pat Cummins’ late-game heroics in Melbourne.

Pakistan bounced back strongly in the second ODI, dismantling Australia’s batting lineup with disciplined pace bowling, followed by an impressive display from young opener Saim Ayub. This performance has put Pakistan within reach of a historic series victory, as they face a weakened Australian squad.

Australia’s lineup will be missing several key players, with Cummins, Steven Smith, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Marnus Labuschagne sitting out to prepare for the Test series against India. This opens up opportunities for newcomers to make their mark.

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Spotlight: Josh Inglis and Haris Rauf

Josh Inglis steps up as Australia’s ODI captain for the first time, leading a team with several fresh faces. Known for his leadership qualities, Inglis now has the task of guiding a new-look team on his home ground. His experience in the Big Bash League at Optus Stadium could make him a key figure as Australia looks to salvage the series.

Haris Rauf, meanwhile, has been Pakistan’s star bowler in this series with eight wickets. His raw pace has left Australia’s batters struggling, and he’ll look to capitalize on the bouncy Optus pitch to make a lasting impact. A strong performance from Rauf in the final game could cement his status as one of Pakistan’s great fast-bowling talents.

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Team News: Mass Changes for Australia

Australia will bring in fresh faces with the likes of Sean Abbott, Marcus Stoinis, and Perth locals Lance Morris and Cooper Connolly in consideration.

Australia (probable): Matt Short, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Josh Inglis (captain, wk), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Aaron Hardie, Cooper Connolly, Sean Abbott, Spencer Johnson/Xavier Bartlett, Adam Zampa, Lance Morris

Pakistan, buoyed by their recent win, is expected to stick with the same lineup.

Pakistan (probable): Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (captain, wk), Kamran Ghulam, Salman Agha, Irfan Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain

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Pitch and Conditions

Optus Stadium is known for its pace, bounce, and short straight boundaries, making it a batter-friendly surface in white-ball cricket. The weather is expected to be mild with temperatures in the mid-20s, creating ideal conditions for an exciting day of cricket.

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Stats and Trivia

• Salman Agha has the fifth-highest strike rate (94.86) among Pakistan batters with at least 500 balls faced.
• Glenn Maxwell needs 50 more runs to reach 4,000 in ODIs.
• Pakistan leads Australia 4-3 in ODIs played at the WACA, though this will be their first ODI at Optus Stadium.

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Quotes

“We go to Perth with a clear plan, a clear method. We’re committed to the style we want to play.” – Australia head coach Andrew McDonald

“The most important thing was that the team won. This performance, we planned to be positive and not think about the result.” – Saim Ayub on Pakistan’s win in the second game