PERTH, Australia, CMC – World Cup holders Australia completed an unblemished series against Pakistan Sunday, advertising fine form ahead of their limited overs series West Indies in the coming weeks.
In a tense finish to the fifth One Day International (ODI) at the WACA Ground, Australia won the match by two wickets and the series 5-0 after posting 213 for eight off 49.2 overs in reply to the visitors’ 212 all out off 49.3 overs.
Man of the match Clint McKay snared four wickets to help limit the Pakistan total and said the team is looking for more success in the immediate future.
“We’ve got the Twenty20 against the Pakistanis coming on Friday in Melbourne and that should be a great game and great crowd,” he said.
“Then the West Indies come for the start of their One day series so there is a lot of cricket to go and hopefully we can win a few more games,” added the 26-year-old pacer.
West Indies will contest a series of five ODIs and two Twenty20 Internationals against Australia from February 7-23. Bowling first-change, McKay picked up four for 35 off 9.3 overs and received support from new-ball bowlers Ryan Harris (3-44) and Mitchell Johnson (2-42). Umar Akmal (67) and Fawad Alam (63) were the chief scorers for Pakistan, who had also lost the preceding Test series.
Captain Ricky Ponting then steered the Australian innings with – his 74th ODI half century — a top-score of 55 off 78 balls with six boundaries.
Mike Hussey, stroking an unbeaten 40, lifted the home side to victory when Pakistan threatened to snatch victory near the end.
Captain Shahid Afridi was the most testing of the Pakistan bowlers with two for 31 off 10 overs in the game that was overshadowed by two bizarre occurrences near the end when Afridi appeared to bite the ball and a Pakistan fielder was attacked by a spectator.
Afridi was caught by TV cameras appearing to bite one side of the white ball shortly before the umpires then changed it at the end of the 45th over.
Soon after, a spectator was allowed to run onto the ground and tackled Khalid Latif to the ground near the boundary line.