Shoaib Akhtar sinks Australia
Superb display of pace bowling from Shoaib Akhtar steered Pakistan to a 91-run win over Australia in the third and deciding one-day international at the Gabba ground in Brisbane.
A late rally from Yousuf Youhana and former skipper Wasim Akram steered Pakistan to 256 for seven in their allotted 50 overs. In reply Australia were dismissed for 165 in just 40 overs to lose the series 1-2.
"It was a total team effort," said Pakistan captain Waqar Younis after the resounding win.
Wasim Akram, trapped opener Matthew Hayden for just five to give the visitors a bright start -- and the Australian batsmen never really recovered from the early setback.
Shoaib Akhtar claimed four for 16 off six overs to lift Pakistan to an impregnable position. Shahid Afridi then helped wrap up the tail, claiming Shane Warne for 31 and Andy Bichel for a duck to finish with two for 30 from his 10 overs.
Akhtar returned to dismiss Jason Gillespie for no score and finished with five for 25 from eight overs. "I just tried to concentrate on taking wickets rather than just bowling fast," said Akhtar, who was named man-of-the-match and man-of-the-series.
Shane Watson top-scored for Australia with an unbeaten 44, but his teammates' batted was poorly. Youhana and Wasim Akram earlier shared an unbeaten 88-run partnership, lifting Pakistan from 168 for seven to a challenging 256.
Youhana's unbeaten 61 came from 85 balls while veteran Akram scored 49 from just 32 deliveries, including a pair of towering sixes off the penultimate over.
Akram, who joined India's Mohammad Azharuddin as the most capped limited-overs player with 334 one-day international appearances, twice smashed Glenn McGrath into the stands taking 23 runs of his final over.
Opener Imran Nazir top-scored for the tourists with 66 from 97 deliveries but the innings then stalled and it was not until the eighth-wicket pair came together that Pakistan lifted their pace of scoring.
Spinner Warne, with two for 42 from 10 overs, was the best of the largely indisciplined Australian bowlers. All-rounder Watson conceded 46 runs off just five overs.
Darren Lehmann was taken to hospital after being struck on the left cheek trying to field a delivery off his own bowling.
Lehmann was sporting a bloodshot left eye when he left the field but he returned to the ground late in Pakistan's innings but was dismissed for a duck when Australia batted.
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