Shaheen Shah Afridi: Haris Rauf's blistering 5-29 and opener Saim Ayub's 82 off 71 helped Pakistan decimate Australia in the second ODI by nine wickets at the Adelaide Oval and level the three-match ODI series in spectacular fashion with 23.3 overs to spare. The spotlight belonged to Haris Rauf, whose searing pace dismantled Australia’s batting lineup for the second consecutive game. Building on his electrifying performance in Melbourne, Rauf produced a masterclass in fast bowling, finishing with five wickets in this match.
His dismissal of Marnus Labuschagne was particularly sensational — a delivery that straightened off the seam, drawing Labuschagne into an edge for a textbook dismissal. Rauf's spell left the Australian middle-order reeling, with four of his five scalps caught by wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan, who tied the record for most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in an ODI, with six catches.
Australia struggled from the onset, collapsing from a promising 79-2 to a meager 163 all out. Steven Smith’s 35 was the top score in a batting performance that left the world champions exposed, especially on a pitch that played true later in the day. Despite the green covering of grass, Pakistan's run chase later proved that the conditions were hardly as testing as the Australians made them appear.
