Spencer Johnson displayed his T20I bowling performance to help Australia win the second match against Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday. Australia won the match by 13 runs and took an unassailable lead of 2-0 in the series. (Highlights | More Cricket News)
The 21-year-old Irfan Khan showed some power-hitting and kept Pakistan in the game. He made 37 not out in 27 balls with the help of four 4s and a six while chasing a 148-run target.
Earlier, Australian captain Josh Inglis decided to bat first at the SCG and made no change in the playing XI. Pakistan, on the other hand, made one change and brought in Sufiyan Muqeem in place of Haseebullah Khan.
Jake Fraser-McGurk and Matthew Short gave a blistering start and collected 21 runs from the first over of Shaheen Shah Afridi. Naseem Shah leaked 16 runs in the next over. Australia completed the first fifty runs in 3.1 overs.
But Haris Rauf got introduced into the attack in the fourth over and he got rid of Fraser-McGurk and Josh Inglis in the same over. He continued his good run in the series and finished with bowling figures of 4-0-22-4.
Abbas Afridi and Sufiyan Muqeem also bowled well and took three and two wickets respectively. With the help of Aaron Hardie's crucial 28 off 23 balls, Australia managed to set a respectable target of 148 runs.
In response, Pakistan batters struggled against the Australian speedsters. Xavier Bartlett removed Babar Azam in the second over. But it was Spencer Johnson's five-wicket haul which changed the momentum of the game.
Usman Khan played a 52-run knock in 38 balls but could not stay after hitting his fifty. Irfan Khan spent some time but failed to win the game for Pakistan.
Pakistan will face Australia in the third and final T20I of the bilateral series on Monday in Hobart.
