Australia vs Pakistan, 2nd ODI: All you need to know
After a thrilling first One-Day International (ODI) match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Australia and Pakistan will face off again at the Adelaide Oval on Friday. The Aussies managed to clinch a victory in the opener despite a strong bowling performance from Pakistan's Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah. Now, Pakistan must win this match to keep their hopes alive in the series.
Australia's performance and key players
Australia's win in the first match wasn't easy. Pakistan scored 203/10 before the Aussies were made to work hard. Australia managed 204/8 to win by two wickets. The team can now seal the series in this match, which will also be the last appearance for a few key players before they take on India in a Test series. These include skipper Pat Cummins, Steven Smith, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Marnus Labuschagne.
Players to watch in the 2nd ODI
Matt Short and Babar Azam are two players to watch out for in this match. Short, who has been successful against England of late, will be hoping to make a strong case for himself ahead of the Champions Trophy. Meanwhile, Babar was the only one who stood out among his teammates with a classy 37 off 44. He'll be hoping to continue his good form in Adelaide Oval where he scored a century against Australia back in January 2017.
Team updates and pitch conditions
Hazlewood will replace Sean Abbott in the XI for Australia, making his only international appearance before the first Test against India. Despite walking off with cramps in the first ODI, Naseem Shah is likely to be fit for Pakistan. Adelaide Oval's pitch, a batting paradise, has been tough as seen in a low-scoring Sheffield Shield match between South Australia and New South Wales.
Australia vs Pakistan - Probable playing XIs
Australia (possible XI): Matt Short, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Steven Smith, Josh Inglis (wk), Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Aaron Hardie, Pat Cummins (captain), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood. Pakistan (possible XI): Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Kamran Ghulam, Salman Ali Agha, Irfan Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain.
A look at the key stats
Australia's star pacer Starc is six wickets away from becoming the fourth Australian to take 250 ODI wickets. As per ESPNcricinfo, he has the best strike-rate by an Australian in ODI cricket (minimum 50 wickets). All-rounder Glenn Maxwell needs 66 runs to reach 4,000 in ODIs cricket. Pakistan have beaten Australia just once from eight ODIs at the Adelaide Oval.
