(MENAFN- Arab Times) ABU DHABI Oct 12 (AFP): Glenn Maxwell bowled a maiden final over and got two wickets to seal a thrilling one-run win for Australia in the third and final one-day international against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. Chasing a modest 232-run target Pakistan needed just two runs in the final over but Maxwell (2-41) kept his cool dismissing Sohail Tanvir (10) with the second ball of the 50th over and Mohammad Irfan (nought) with the final ball to complete Australia's 3-0 series whitewash.
It was Australia's third cleansweep against Pakistan after a 3-0 win in Pakistan in 1998 and a 5-0 triumph on home ground four years ago. Pakistan once again lived up to their reputation of throwing away a winning position as they needed just 28 runs to win with four wickets in hand at one stage. Tanvir and Zulfiqar Babar (14 not out) took them to within two runs of the win but Australia staged a strong comeback. For Pakistan Asad Shafiq hit a solid 50 while Sohaib Maqsood made 34. Pakistan were without captain Misbah-ul-Haq who surprisingly dropped himself after a poor run of scores handing the captaincy to Shahid Afridi. With the series already in the bag Australia rested paceman Mitchell Johnson and off-spinner Nathan Lyon who shared nine wickets in the first two matches. That significantly weakened the bowling attack as Pakistan raced to a solid 56-run start with Ahmed Shahzad (26) and Sarfraz Ahmed (32) batting with confidence. But left-arm spinner Xavier Doherty provided Australia with a breakthrough when he bowled Shahzad with his first delivery. Pakistan lost two wickets at 80 with Ahmed run out and Fawad Alam scooping a catch off a miscued sweep off Doherty with slip fielder Smith running from slip to leg-slip to grab the ball. Shafiq and Sohaib Maqsood one of four changes in Pakistan side added an invaluable 74 for the fourth wicket before Pakistan lost three wickets in the space of just 20 runs. Maqsood was caught off paceman Kane Richardson (2-36) who also had Afridi (two) and Shafiq fell to James Faulkner. Umar Amin (19) and Anwar Ali (14) brought Pakistan close to the win but both fell within four runs of each other leaving Pakistan at 208-8. Australia had got off to a confident start of 48 before Aaron Finch miscued a drive and was caught at mid-off for 18. Steve Smith added an invaluable 54 for the second wicket with Warner as Australia tried to consolidate the innings. Warner hit spinner Zulfiqar Babar for six to reach his ninth half-century off 41 balls before he gave a return catch to Afridi. Australian skipper George Bailey fell for nought while Maxwell holed out off Afridi for 20. Paceman Tanvir then had Smith who hit an impressive 77 Phil Hughes (five) and James Faulkner (33) to finish with 3-40 in his ten overs while Afridi finished with 2-44. Both teams now play a two-match Test series with the first starting in Dubai from October 22. Pakistan vs Australia Scoreboard ABU DHABI Oct 12 (AFP): Scoreboard in the third and final day-night ODI between Pakistan and Australia at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium on Sunday. Australia A. Finch c Irfan b Ali 18 D. Warner c and b Afridi 56 S. Smith b Tanvir 77 G. Bailey c Shahzad b Irfan 0 G. Maxwell c Amin b Afridi 20 P. Hughes lbw b Tanvir 5 B. Haddin run out 2 J. Faulkner c Amin b Tanvir 33 M. Starc run out 5 K. Richardson not out 9 X. Doherty not out 1 Extras: (lb3 nb1 w1) 5 Total: (for nine wkts 50 overs) 231 Fall of wickets: 1-48 (Finch) 2-102 (Warner) 3-103 (Bailey) 4-138 (Maxwell) 5-157 (Hughes) 6-159 (Haddin) 7-199 (Smith) 8-220 (Starc) 9-221 (Faulkner) Bowling: Irfan 10-0-61-1 (1w) Tanvir 10-1-40-3 (1nb) Ali 10-0-41-1 Babar 10-0-42-0 Afridi 10-1-0-44-2 Pakistan Ahmed Shahzad b Doherty 26 Sarfraz Ahmed run out 32 Asad Shafiq lbw b Faulkner 50 Fawad Alam c Smith b Doherty 0 Sohaib Maqsood c Warner b Richardson 34 Umar Amin b Starc 19 Shahid Afridi c Smith b Richardson 6 Anwar Ali c Maxwell b Faulkner 14 Sohail Tanvir b Maxwell 10 Zulfiqar Babar not out 14 Mohammad Irfan c Faulkner b Maxwell 0 Extras: (b2 lb5 w18) 25 Total: (all out; 50 overs) 230 Fall of wickets: 1-56 (Shahzad) 2-80 (Ahmed) 3-80 (Alam) 4-154 (Maqsood) 5-160 (Shafiq) 6-174 (Afridi) 7-204 (Amin) 8-208(Ali) 9-230 (Tanvir) 10-230 (Irfan) Bowling: Starc 10-1-33-1 (10w) Richardson 10-0-36-2 Faulkner 10-0-52-2 (1w) Maxwell 8-1-41-2 (6w) Doherty 10-1-54-2 (1w) Smith 2-0-7-0 Result: Australia win by one run Series: Australia win 3-0 Toss: Australia Umpires: Ahsan Raza (PAK) and Richard Illingworth (ENG) Tv umpire: Nigel Llong (ENG) Match referee: Javagal Srinath (IND)
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