Pakistan tearaway Haris Rauf has produced another super spell to demolish Australia’s middle-order at the Adelaide Oval.
The hosts collapsed to be all-out for 163 in the 35th over in the second ODI after being sent in to bat by Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan on Friday.
Australia will have to win with the lowest ODI total they have successfully defended to avoid heading to Perth with the three-match series level.
The current lowest total successfully defended by Australia was their 172 against South Africa at the SCG in 1993.
Australia have already announced they will rest star quicks Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood for Sunday’s potential series-decider.
Rauf, who has been a popular figure in the Big Bash League for the Melbourne Stars since 2020, picked up where he left off at the MCG.
The 31-year-old gave Pakistan a chance of a shock victory on Monday with 3-67, before Cummins steered Australia home by two wickets.
But Rauf (5-29) went to another level in Adelaide with his second five-wicket haul in ODIs, dismissing Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Aaron Hardie, and Glenn Maxwell as Australia collapsed from 2-79 to 7-129.
The fiery right-armer also claimed Cummins’ scalp to end any chance Australia had of posting a competitive total.
Rauf finished with the best ODI figures by a Pakistani bowler at the Adelaide Oval.
Australia should have been all-out for 147 after wicketkeeper Rizwan spilled a skied ball from Adam Zampa.
Zampa belted a quick-fire 18, even goading Rizwan into using a review, saying: “You blokes appeal for everything. You should take it (the review).”
Steve Smith finished as Australia’s top-scorer with 35.
Australian openers Matt Short (19) and Jake Fraser-McGurk (13) failed to silence critics of their cavalier batting.
Australian great Ian Healy called the pair “schoolyard bullies” and urged them to temper their aggression.
On Thursday, Fraser-McGurk said he would continue batting his way.
Australia ODI squad: Pat Cummins (c – first two matches), Josh Inglis, (c – third match), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett (third match only), Cooper Connolly, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood (second match only), Spencer Johnson (third match only), Marnus Labuschagne (first two matches only), Glenn Maxwell, Lance Morris, Josh Philippe (third match only), Matthew Short, Steve Smith (first two matches only), Mitchell Starc (first two matches only), Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa
Pakistan ODI squad: Muhammad Rizwan, Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Agha Salman, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan, Irfan Khan, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi
November 4: Australia won by two wickets
November 8: Adelaide Oval, 2.30pm AEDT
November 10: Perth Stadium, 2.30pm AEDT
Australia T20 squad: Josh Inglis (c), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Spencer Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa
Pakistan T20 squad: Muhammad Rizwan (c), Abbas Afridi, Agha Salman, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan, Irfan Khan, Jahandad Khan, Naseem Shah, Omair Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Usman Khan.
November 14: Gabba, 7.00pm AEDT
November 16: SCG: 7.00pm AEDT
November 18: Bellerive Oval, Hobart, 7.00pm AEDT
All matches live and exclusive on Fox Cricket and Kayo Sports