LAHORE: World champions Australia turned the tables on Pakistan when they won the second ODI by 41 runs to make Thursday’s match a winner-takes-all contest.

Put into bat, Australia collected 231 for nine on a slow-turning track and then gave Pakistan a taste of their own medicine when they bowled them out for 190 in 44 overs, after half the side was back in the hut by the 12th over at a total of 58.

Muhammad Ghazi Ghori scored 37 and was the sixth batter to be dismissed at a score of 78 in 16.3 overs. He was bowled by Adam Zampa after fast bowler Nathan Ellis had removed Maaz Sadaqat (0) and Babar Azam (16), left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann had dismissed Sahibzada Farhan (3), and part-time off-spinner Matthew Short had accounted for Salman Ali Agha (7) and Abdul Samad (2).

Arafat Minhas (33, 43b, 4×4) and Shadab Khan then got involved in a rescue act and added 59 runs for the seventh wicket in 93 balls. The partnership ended at a score of 137 in 32 overs when Arafat became Ellis’s third scalp.

Shadab Khan delayed the inevitable by scoring a well-constructed 71 from 104 balls with one four and three sixes. He was the last batter to be dismissed, falling to Tanveer Sangha.

Ellis was the most impressive and outstanding bowler of the match, finishing with figures of 9-1-33-4. He was later rewarded with the Player of the Match award. Matthew Short was Australia’s surprise package when he ended with career-best figures of three for 36.

Earlier, a couple of half-centuries and three partnerships of note allowed Australia to reach 231 after they were in a spot of bother at 51 for three in the 11th over. Cameron Green led the recovery with a 92-ball 53, featuring a four and two sixes, and put on 81 runs for the fifth wicket with Matt Renshaw, who contributed a run-a-ball 43 with three fours.

Cameron had earlier put on 51 runs for the fourth wicket with captain Josh Inglis, who scored a 74-ball 51 with five fours.

The other partnership worth mentioning was for the second wicket between Matthew Short and Inglis, which produced 46 runs off 45 balls. Oliver Peake, batting at No. 7, scored 31 off 32 with a four and two sixes.

Pakistan’s bowlers made good use of the playing surface and conceded 14 fours and four sixes. Australia’s bowlers later matched this performance, allowing Pakistan batters to hit 15 fours and three sixes.

Captain Shaheen Shah Afridi was the pick of the bowlers with three for 36, while Arafat Minhas followed up his five-fer in the previous match with two for 27. Abrar Ahmed snapped up two for 34 and Haris Rauf ended up with two for 49. Shadab Khan once again remained wicketless and a bit expensive when he went for 56 off his nine overs.

Scores in brief:

2nd ODI – Australia beat Pakistan by 41 runs, Lahore

AUSTRALIA 231-9, 50 overs (Cameron Green 53, Josh Inglis 51, Matt Renshaw 43, Oliver Peake 31, Matthew Short 15; Shaheen Shah Afridi 3-36, Arafat Minhas 2-27, Abrar Ahmed 2-34, Haris Rauf 2-49, Shadab Khan 0-56)

PAKISTAN 190 all-out, 44 overs (Shadab Khan 71, Ghazi Ghori 37, Arafat Minhas 33, Babar Azam 16; Nathan Ellis 4-33, Matthew Short 3-36)