||Desk Report||

Skipper Aaron Finch handed Australia the second successive win with his career-best score, beating Pakistan by eight-wicket in the second ODI at Sharjah on Sunday.

The Aussie skipper smashed his career-best ODI highest unbeaten 153 off 143 balls hitting 11 fours and 6 sixes that led Australia to 285 for 2, in reply of Pakistan’s 284 for 7. Finch also bowled and picked up only his third ODI wicket when he had Haris Sohail caught behind for 34.

Finch along with Usman Khawaja added a mammoth 209-run stand for the opening stand which bettered Mark Waugh and Adam Gilchrist’s partnership of 206 against West Indies in 2001. Khawaja later dismissed for 88 off 109 balls. However, Pakistan posted 284 for 7 after electing to bat first. Pakistan got a early blow as they lost their two openers for 35 runs. They lost two more wickets at 112. But then, Mohamed Rizwan and skipper Shoaib Malik stove off the team adding 127 in the fifth wicket stand. Rizwan knocked his maiden ODI ton 115 off 126 balls while Malik scored 60 off 61. Australian fast bowler Jhye Richardson and Nathan Coulter-Nile took two wickets each.

Earlier, Australia beat Pakistan in this 5-match series opener by 8 wickets. Haris Sohail’s unbeaten 101 lifted Pakistan at 280 for 5. In reply, Aaron Finch’s 116 and Shaun Marsh’s unbeaten 91 drove Australia to 281 for 2.  However, the win was Australia’s fifth in a row after their 3-2 comeback in the series against India earlier this month. The third ODI will be held on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi.

Brief score:

Pakistan: 284/7

Rizwan 115, Malik 60; Richardson 2-16