Pakistan on Saturday defeated Australia by 90 runs in the second T20I at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, taking a 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

 

After winning the toss, Pakistan chose to bat first and started aggressively from the very first over. 

 

Despite losing Sahibzada Farhan in the second over, captain Salman Ali Agha and Saim Ayub continued to attack the Australian bowlers. Saim Ayub scored 23 runs off 11 balls before being dismissed in the sixth over.

 

Pakistan finished the powerplay with 72 runs for the loss of two wickets, hitting three sixes and ten boundaries. Babar Azam fell for 2, trapped by Adam Zampa, but Salman Ali Agha maintained the momentum with a half-century off just 25 balls. His 50 was the second-fastest half-century by a Pakistani captain in T20 internationals after Mohammad Hafeez, who scored 50 off 23 balls.

 

Pakistan posted 198 runs for five wickets in their 20 overs. Salman Ali Agha led the innings with 76, while Usman Khan contributed 52 runs.

 

Chasing 199, Australia struggled from the start. Abrar Ahmed removed Mitchell Marsh for 18 runs in the first over, followed by Saim Ayub dismissing Travis Head for 4 in the next over.

 

Other Australian contributions included Cameron Green 35, Matthew Short 27, Xavier Bartlett 10, Josh Inglis 5, Matt Renshaw 2, Cooper Connolly 1, and Matthew Kuhnemann 2. Sean Abbott was dismissed for a duck. Australia were bowled out for 108 in just 15.4 overs.

 

For Pakistan, Shadab Khan and Abrar Ahmed picked up three wickets each, Usman Tariq took two, while Saim Ayub and Mohammad Nawaz claimed one wicket apiece.

 

Pakistan now leads the three-match series 2-0, with the final match scheduled at Gaddafi Stadium tomorrow.