Babar, Imam topple Aussies in record ODI run chase

Pakistan stunned Australia by pulling off their highest ever ODI run-chase as centuries from Imam ul-Haq and Babar Azam, plus a match-winning late cameo from third-gamer Khushdil Shah, set up a series decider in Lahore.

Ben McDermott (104 off 108 balls) scored his maiden ton and led a six-hitting rampage with Travis Head (89 off 70) to lay the platform for Australia to post 8-348, their highest ODI score in Pakistan and third highest against them overall.

But Pakistan, having never previously reeled in a target greater than 327 in almost 50 years of limited-overs cricket, were fired to an unlikely victory by fearless duo Imam (106 off 97) and Babar (114 off 83) at the Gaddafi Stadium.

With 15 needed from the final 12 balls, third-gamer Khushdil Shah (27no off 17) then iced the match off the penultimate over delivered by Nathan Ellis to seal the four-wicket win.

It was the 10th highest total successfully chased in ODI history, evening the series ledger and setting up a decider for Saturday's third match at the same venue.

The performances of lesser lights McDermott, whose near-flawless ton came in just his fourth one-dayer for Australia, and Head, who followed up his match-winning hundred on Tuesday, were overshadowed by the brilliance that followed.

Imam posted his second ODI hundred in as many games and his fourth century against Australia this month, having scored two tons in the opening Test in Rawalpindi, though this was his first in a victory.

But Babar outdid them all with his 15th ODI century, feasting on an understrength Australian bowling attack that had performed admirably in their series-opening win but, on Thursday, had no answers for the 50-over game's No.1 ranked batter.

Undaunted by their mammoth target, openers Fakhar Zaman (67 off 64) and Imam found the fence with regularity, though at times rode their luck; Marcus Stoinis' foot grazed the boundary rope after taking a catch off Fakhar, while McDermott put down a hot one-handed chance off Imam, on 27, that left the Queenslander with a bloodied finger.

Stoinis, the seventh bowler used by Finch inside the first 17 overs, ended the 118-run opening stand with an off-spinning slower ball that gripped in the placid surface and took out Fakhar's off-stump.

Keeping the required rate around 7.5 per over, Imam put on a further 111 with Babar before leg-spinner Adam Zampa (2-71) had him caught at long-on by a giddy Marnus Labuschagne.

With the Aussies unable to call on pace aces Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc or Josh Hazlewood after the trio flew home following the Test series, the 70 runs Pakistan needed from the final 10 overs appeared a formality until Babar and Mohammad Rizwan (23 off 26) departed in consecutive overs.

Labuschagne took a second catch off just about the only ball Babar mishit all evening before Zampa struck again to have Rizwan caught in the deep, leaving the hosts with 31 to get from the final four overs.

No.6 Khushdil slapped two sixes and was well supported by Iftikhar Ahmed (11no off seven) to see the hosts home.

Rested from the first ODI, the lively Shaheen Shah Afridi (4-63) had needed just one ball to remove Aaron Finch though his shin-high, curving full toss that thudded into the visiting captain's front pad was likely not his intended method of attack.

Shaheen then had a fiery exchange with McDermott after the Australian hit him back over his head for a boundary, coming close to bumping Head (who dodged him with some late evasive action) as he traded words with McDermott.

But neither Shaheen's antics nor Finch's first-ball exit, his sixth golden duck in international cricket since November 2018 and his 15th consecutive innings for Australia without a half-century, were deterrents to Head and McDermott as they proceeded to blast nine of Australia's 10 sixes in a brutal early onslaught.

The pair quite literally went blow for blow – at one stage playing slog-sweeps for six, identical in every respect but for the duo's opposite handedness, off Iftikhar in the same over – with Head appearing destined for another century to back up the 101 he made on Tuesday.

While he was out 11 runs short as he aimed another slog-swept six, McDermott, who was given out caught behind on 68 before overturning the call on review, maintained his side's aggressive approach as he blasted Khushdil for a straight six to bring up his first ton.

That Labuschagne, McDermott's former Queensland U19 captain who made his first-class debut alongside him back in 2014, was at the other end was fitting for the Gold Coast-raised batter who now calls Hobart home.

There was also neat symmetry in McDermott scoring a hundred at the same ground his father Craig, the 71-Test former fast bowler, took his sole ODI five-wicket haul at during the 1987 World Cup semi-final.

Pakistan restricted the Aussies somewhat with late wickets in the first ODI but Labuschagne (59 off 49), Stoinis (49 off 33) and Sean Abbott (28 off 16) helped take 142 from the final 20 overs to post Australia's highest 50-over tally abroad in nearly three years.

Australia XI: Aaron Finch (capt), Travis Head, Ben McDermott, Marnus Labuschagne, Marcus Stoinis, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Sean Abbott, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Mitch Swepson.

Pakistan XI: Babar Azam (capt), Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shaker, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Haris Rauf, Zahid Mahmood.

Qantas Tour of Pakistan 2022

First Test: Match drawn

March 12-16: Match drawn

March 21-25: Australia win by 115 runs

Pakistan ODI and T20 squad: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Abdullah Shafique*, Asif Afridi, Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq*, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris, Zahid Mahmood, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim, Saud Shakeel*, Shaheen Afridi, Shahnawaz Dahani, Usman Qadir (*ODIs only)

Australia ODI and T20 squad: Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Ben McDermott, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Adam Zampa

March 29: Australia win by 88 runs

March 31: Pakistan win by six wickets

April 2: Third ODI, Lahore

April 5: Only T20I, Lahore

All matches to be broadcast in Australia on Fox Cricket and Kayo Sports