Akram gets record, MacGill takes the wickets

Pakistan skipper Akram became the first in the history of One-day Internationals to claim 400 wickets, moving from 397 with a haul of three for 40.

Australia’s fourth straight victory in five games lifted them into the best of three final. Pakistan, who suffered their second consecutive defeat to the hosts, hold a 2-2 win-loss record in the series.

Pakistan began in a whirlwind fashion with pace spearhead Glenn McGrath bearing the brunt of the fury, but leg-spinner Stuart MacGill, included only because Shane Warne is injured, made a dream One-day debut to capture four for 19 and wreck the Pakistan innings effectively.

The 30-year-old MacGill edged out One-day specialist Michael Bevan for the Man of the Match accolade after the left-hander top-scored with a strokeful 77 to give Australia the right momentum towards a huge score on electing to bat.

The result gladdened the Indian camp stationed at Hobart as they brace themselves for their fourth game, against Pakistan on January 21. India, after losing the first three ties, have the arduous task of having to win all their five remaining league ties to make the final at Pakistan’s cost.

Pakistan began their chase in a rapid fashion as Ijaz Ahmed, opening the innings, hit a racy 23 before Abdur Razzaq really stepped up the tempo.

The young all-rounder, who top-scored with 40 off 38 balls, stunned the packed 40,000-strong SCG crowd into silence as he smashed five consecutive boundaries off McGrath’s fifth over that went for 20 runs.

The fast bowler, unplayable in earlier matches, looked helpless on a nice batting track and his first spell of five overs went for 61 runs and Pakistan reached 100 for two in 13 overs to be well set for a splendid win.

But MacGill’s introduction brought about a dramatic turnaround. He had the rampaging Razzaq caught behind off his first over and then followed it up by removing Yousuf Youhana (10), Azhar Mehmood (1) and Saqlain Mushtaq (2) to wreck the chase and return 10-2-19-4.

With the match settled, Waqar Younis once again showed his ability with the bat by scoring 37 to delay the end.

Earlier, Akram, playing his 285th game, became the first to claim 400 wickets in limited overs cricket. He was on a hat-trick removing opener Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting for a first ball duck — his third successive dismissal without scoring in the series — before achieving the landmark by having Damien Martyn caught by Ijaz Ahmed. (PTI)

Scoreboard

Australia
A Gilchrist c Moin b Akram 13
M Waugh b Shoaib 43
R Ponting lbw Akram 0
M Bevan c Shoaib b Mahmood 77
S Waugh b Shoaib 6
D Martyn c Ijaz b Akram 50
A Symonds c Mahmood b Razzaq 47
S Lee c Shoaib b Saqlain 26
D Fleming b Razzaq 0
S MacGill run out 1
G McGrath not out 0
Extras: (b1, lb6, w12, nb4) 23
Total: (all out in 49.4 overs) 286
Fall of wickets: 1-23, 2-23, 3-113, 4-132, 5-177, 6-245, 7-265, 8-266, 9-286
Bowling: Akram 9-1-40-3, Younis 7-0-32-0, Razzaq 10-0-56-2, Shoaib 7-0-50-2, Mahmood 8-0-37-1, Saqlain 8.4-0-64-1

Pakistan

S Anwar run out 23
I Ahmed c S Waugh b Fleming 23
A Razzaq c McGrath b MacGill 40
I Haq lbw S Lee 12
Y Youhanna c Gilchrist b MacGill 10
M Khan c Symonds b McGrath 13
A Mahmood c S Lee b MacGill 1
W Akram c MacGill b S Lee 23
S Mushtaq lbw MacGill 2
W Younis lbw b Symonds 37
S Akhtar not out 3
Extras: (b1, lb4, w8, nb5) 18
Total: (all out in 45.2 overs) 205
Fall of wickets: , 2-62, 3-100, 4-116, 5-122, 6-124, 7-138, 8-143, 9-186
Bowling: ath 8-0-67-1, Fleming 10-0-48-1, Martyn 1-0-11-0, S Lee 9-0-25-2, MacGill 10-2-19-4, M Waugh 2-0-8-0, Bevan 3-0-17-0, Symonds 2.2-0-5-1

Man of the Match: Stuart MacGill
Result: Australia won by 81 runs

Next match: India v Pakistan (Hobart) on Friday.