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50 overs Australia 248 for 9 (M Hussey 61, Ajmal 4-32, Junaid 3-52) v Pakistan
Michael Hussey top scored with 61 © AFP
Saeed Ajmal confounded Australia's batsmen again, but led by Michael Hussey the Australians were still able to set Pakistan a challenging target in the Abu Dhabi heat. Hussey top scored with 61 and valuable contributions from George Bailey, Michael Clarke and Glenn Maxwell helped Australia reach 248 for 9 at the end of 50 overs, despite Ajmal finishing with an impressive 4 for 32.
Pakistan did not help themselves in the field, dropping catches and missing run outs, and it could have been worse had the Australians capitalised more on the five free hits given up due to no-balls from Sohail Tanvir. It was left largely to Ajmal to keep Australia in check and he was not only dangerous but also economical, slowing the scoring rate towards the end as Daniel Christian and Mitchell Johnson cautiously saw him off.
The Australians could have pushed harder in the final overs had Ajmal not found a way through both Hussey and Maxwell, whose 58-run sixth-wicket partnership pushed the total past 200. Both men fell in the same Ajmal over, Hussey bowled attempting a tired slog and Maxwell advancing down the pitch, missing the doosra and finding himself stumped by a matter of metres.
But Hussey and Maxwell had done their job, continuing the rebuild started by Hussey and Bailey after the top order wobbled to 87 for 4. Maxwell launched two consecutive sixes off Abdur Rehman, one a slog sweep and the other a drive over long-on, and that was followed by six more from the next delivery when Hussey pulled a short ball from Junaid Khan.
As usual, Hussey was good at finding the gaps and rotating the strike, and he brought up his half-century from 59 balls. Maxwell helped keep the scoreboard ticking over, although he should have been caught on 21 when he top-edged a slog sweep off an Ajmal doosra and was put down by Asad Shafiq running in from deep midwicket; the ball had sailed so high the batsmen were able to run two.
Maxwell had come to the crease after Bailey departed for 39 from 46 balls when he pushed a catch back to the bowler Rehman. But Bailey, through a calm 66-run stand with Hussey, had played a key role in Australia's recovery after the top order struggled against the spin of Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez.
After the early loss of Matthew Wade, Clarke and an unconvincing David Warner moved the score along to 74 for 1 before three quick wickets set back their progress. Warner, who never looked comfortable and had taken 19 deliveries to get off the mark, was lbw playing back to Ajmal and looked almost relieved that his ordeal was over.
Clarke followed soon after, lbw to Hafeez for 37, and Australia lost their review when Clarke asked for his decision to be checked, only to see replays indicate the ball would have just clipped the top of leg stump. David Hussey fell in the next over, lbw to Ajmal for a duck, and he too appeared unconvinced by the umpire's call, but the technology again suggested the ball was hitting leg.
It was a shaky period for the Australians, who had rebuilt solidly through Clarke after the early loss of Wade, who drove at a wide ball from Junaid and played on for 7, one ball after he was dropped by Umar Akmal at point. Pakistan had surprised the Australians by opening with pace from both ends and the ploy worked, but it was spin that caused the majority of the trouble as the innings wore on.
Junaid returned in the dying overs to pick up Christian and Johnson from consecutive balls and he finished with 3 for 52, but Pakistan would have liked his wickets to have come a little earlier in the innings.
Michael Hussey top scored with 61 © AFP
Saeed Ajmal confounded Australia's batsmen again, but led by Michael Hussey the Australians were still able to set Pakistan a challenging target in the Abu Dhabi heat. Hussey top scored with 61 and valuable contributions from George Bailey, Michael Clarke and Glenn Maxwell helped Australia reach 248 for 9 at the end of 50 overs, despite Ajmal finishing with an impressive 4 for 32.
Pakistan did not help themselves in the field, dropping catches and missing run outs, and it could have been worse had the Australians capitalised more on the five free hits given up due to no-balls from Sohail Tanvir. It was left largely to Ajmal to keep Australia in check and he was not only dangerous but also economical, slowing the scoring rate towards the end as Daniel Christian and Mitchell Johnson cautiously saw him off.
The Australians could have pushed harder in the final overs had Ajmal not found a way through both Hussey and Maxwell, whose 58-run sixth-wicket partnership pushed the total past 200. Both men fell in the same Ajmal over, Hussey bowled attempting a tired slog and Maxwell advancing down the pitch, missing the doosra and finding himself stumped by a matter of metres.
But Hussey and Maxwell had done their job, continuing the rebuild started by Hussey and Bailey after the top order wobbled to 87 for 4. Maxwell launched two consecutive sixes off Abdur Rehman, one a slog sweep and the other a drive over long-on, and that was followed by six more from the next delivery when Hussey pulled a short ball from Junaid Khan.
As usual, Hussey was good at finding the gaps and rotating the strike, and he brought up his half-century from 59 balls. Maxwell helped keep the scoreboard ticking over, although he should have been caught on 21 when he top-edged a slog sweep off an Ajmal doosra and was put down by Asad Shafiq running in from deep midwicket; the ball had sailed so high the batsmen were able to run two.
Maxwell had come to the crease after Bailey departed for 39 from 46 balls when he pushed a catch back to the bowler Rehman. But Bailey, through a calm 66-run stand with Hussey, had played a key role in Australia's recovery after the top order struggled against the spin of Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez.
After the early loss of Matthew Wade, Clarke and an unconvincing David Warner moved the score along to 74 for 1 before three quick wickets set back their progress. Warner, who never looked comfortable and had taken 19 deliveries to get off the mark, was lbw playing back to Ajmal and looked almost relieved that his ordeal was over.
Clarke followed soon after, lbw to Hafeez for 37, and Australia lost their review when Clarke asked for his decision to be checked, only to see replays indicate the ball would have just clipped the top of leg stump. David Hussey fell in the next over, lbw to Ajmal for a duck, and he too appeared unconvinced by the umpire's call, but the technology again suggested the ball was hitting leg.
It was a shaky period for the Australians, who had rebuilt solidly through Clarke after the early loss of Wade, who drove at a wide ball from Junaid and played on for 7, one ball after he was dropped by Umar Akmal at point. Pakistan had surprised the Australians by opening with pace from both ends and the ploy worked, but it was spin that caused the majority of the trouble as the innings wore on.
Junaid returned in the dying overs to pick up Christian and Johnson from consecutive balls and he finished with 3 for 52, but Pakistan would have liked his wickets to have come a little earlier in the innings.