LAHORE, Pakistan — A decisive chapter in the Australia-Pakistan one-day international series got underway on Thursday, marked by pre-match tactical calls, an unchanged Pakistan lineup, and a short weather-related delay.
After leveling the series with a solid 41-run victory over Pakistan at the same Lahore venue this past Tuesday, Australia head into the final do-or-die match with just one adjustment to their winning XI. Young all-rounder Cooper Connolly has earned a call-up to the starting lineup, replacing leg-spin bowler Tanveer Sangha. Australian captain Josh Inglis won the pre-match coin toss, and opted to send his side in to bat first, setting up a target for Pakistan to chase in the decider.
Pakistan entered the match with an unchanged 12-player squad for the third consecutive ODI, sticking with the group that claimed a five-wicket win in the opening fixture of the series in Rawalpindi one week earlier. The side’s selection strategy is built around leveraging the Lahore pitch for its four-man spin attack, led by Abrar Ahmed, Arafat Minhas, Shadab Khan, and Salman Ali Agha. Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi will lead the unit as they aim to close out the series on home soil.
Just minutes before the scheduled start, a sudden thunderstorm and passing rain shower swept through the venue, pushing back the first delivery by 15 minutes. Play eventually got underway as forecasted after the short interruption.
Full Starting Lineups:
Australia: Matthew Short, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis (captain), Matthew Renshaw, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Cooper Connolly, Oliver Peake, Nathan Ellis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Adam Zampa.
Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Maaz Sadaqat, Babar Azam, Ghazi Ghori, Salman Ali Agha, Abdul Samad, Shadab Khan, Arafat Minhas, Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed.