Babar\, Shadab help Pakistan whitewash Australia

Babar, Shadab help Pakistan whitewash Australia

AFP  |  Dubai 

Opener struck a half-century and leg-spinner claimed three wickets as secured a 3-0 T20 series whitewash over with a 33-run victory in

Azam's 40-ball 50 lifted to another challenging total of 150-5 before Shadab's 3-19 helped bowl out for 117 in 19.1 overs on Sunday.

It is Pakistan's first-ever whitewash against in a limited-over series and their 10th series win under Ahmed since he took over as in September 2016.

justified their world-number-one ranking in the shortest format of the game, following a 66-run thrashing in with an 11-run win in

Australia's batting line-up never recovered from being bowled out for 89 in the first game.

Only (21), (21) and (20) looked like getting big scores on Sunday against a varied Pakistan attack.

Carey, promoted to open the innings, smashed two fours and two sixes in Imad Wasim's first over of the innings but they lost wickets at regular intervals.

failed yet again, scoring only one while (15) and (four) also inflicted little damage as seamer finished with 2-14.

said the series win was "a reward for hard work".

"I would say that all the boys have worked hard in all facets, the result is just the reward," said

"Whoever has got an opportunity has done well. We wanted to carry the momentum to the series, the way we bowled and took our catches was superb tonight."

- 'We had our chances' -

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Finch admitted it was disappointing to come up so short when chasing 151 to win.

"We had our chances in all three games," said Finch. "You back yourself while chasing under 150, you back your batsmen to get the side over the line but it didn't happen.

"Our bowling was very impressive all series, keeping them to below 150 was great. We're looking to a tough series against (at home)."

Earlier, Azam scored his second fifty of the series after the hosts had won the toss and batted.

Azam and Sahibzada Farhan gave Pakistan an excellent start -- their opening stand of 99 their highest against Australia in T20 internationals -- in 12.5 overs, but Pakistan could not capitalise on that start.

Farhan, dismissed for a first-ball duck in his only previous match against Australia in in July, hit a 38-ball 39.

But after the openers, only managed to score freely during his 20-ball 32 not out.

scored 18 and became the second-highest run-scorer in T20 international history, passing New Zealand's

Another New Zealander is at the top of the charts with 2,271 runs in 75 matches -- 118 more than Malik.

Pakistan next play in three Twenty20 internationals, three ODIs and three Tests, starting with the first Twenty20 in on Wednesday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Mon, October 29 2018. 09:30 IST