Haris Rauf expressed disappointment over Pakistan’s mistakes as they let yet another close match slip away. In the recent ODI against Australia, Pakistan faced a tough defeat, extending a troubling trend: Australia has now won 27 of the last 28 completed games against Pakistan at home, with this match ending with a comfortable victory for Australia by 99 balls.
A Glimpse of Hope Amidst Australia’s Dominance
Despite the loss, Pakistan showed moments of fight that caught everyone by surprise. Australia was cruising at 139 for 3 in the 20th over while chasing a modest target of 204 runs. However, things took a turn when Shaheen Shah Afridi dismissed Josh Inglis, and Haris Rauf entered the attack.
Rauf’s pace generated extra bounce on a consistent pitch, leading to a leading edge from Marnus Labuschagne that was caught at third man. Rauf then drew Glenn Maxwell into a cautious shot that resulted in another wicket, leaving Australia reeling at 139 for 6. Pakistan had a chance to take control of the game.
“We were all trying our best, whether in the field or with the ball,” Rauf said after the game. “We had a plan to bowl short from my end, and it worked as we took a few wickets.”
Missed Opportunities and Sloppy Play
In the end, however, Australia maintained their grip on the match. Although Pakistan took a couple more wickets and exposed the lower order, Pat Cummins remained calm and ensured his team crossed the finish line with a two-wicket win.
Rauf lamented the sloppiness of his team, pointing out that Pakistan gave away 21 extras while Australia only conceded four. Rauf himself bowled a wide that turned into four extra runs, while his teammates added to the total with several wides, putting unnecessary pressure back on the team.
“We did give away extras, but when you attack, these things happen,” Rauf explained. “We made mistakes and were a bit untidy. We know these little things matter. If you’re a good bowling unit, you can cover up for the batters falling short if you tighten up in the field. We could have defended this, and we all tried hard. The game didn’t go our way, but our energy and effort were there.”
Haunted by Past Matches at the MCG
Losing closely at the MCG has become a familiar story for Pakistan. Rauf recalled a previous match against India in the 2022 T20 World Cup, where a crucial over turned the tide in favor of India, resulting in a last-ball defeat. Just weeks later, an injury to Shaheen Afridi led to a disappointing loss in the T20 World Cup final.
“We have memories on this ground that we remember. We lost a couple of very close matches here against India and in the World Cup final,” Rauf noted. “We try to stay in the moment, accepting that sometimes the results don’t go our way. We learn from our failures and keep pushing forward.”