Michael Hussey takes Australia

ABU DHABI  - Saeed Ajmal confounded Australia’s batsmen again, but led by Michael Hussey the Australians were still able to set Pakistan a challenging target in the Abu Dhabi heat. Hussey top scored with 61 and valuable contributions from George Bailey, Michael Clarke and Glenn Maxwell helped Australia reach 248 for 9 at the end of 50 overs, despite Ajmal finishing with an impressive 4 for 32.

Pakistan did not help themselves in the field, dropping catches and missing run outs, and it could have been worse had the Australians capitalised more on the five free hits given up due to no-balls from Sohail Tanvir. It was left largely to Ajmal to keep Australia in check and he was not only dangerous but also economical, slowing the scoring rate towards the end as Daniel Christian and Mitchell Johnson cautiously saw him off.

The Australians could have pushed harder in the final overs had Ajmal not found a way through both Hussey and Maxwell, whose 58-run sixth-wicket partnership pushed the total past 200. Both men fell in the same Ajmal over, Hussey bowled attempting a tired slog and Maxwell advancing down the pitch, missing the doosra and finding himself stumped by a matter of metres.

But Hussey and Maxwell had done their job, continuing the rebuild started by Hussey and Bailey after the top order wobbled to 87 for 4. Maxwell launched two consecutive sixes off Abdur Rehman, one a slog sweep and the other a drive over long-on, and that was followed by six more from the next delivery when Hussey pulled a short ball from Junaid Khan. As usual, Hussey was good at finding the gaps and rotating the strike, and he brought up his half-century from 59 balls. Maxwell helped keep the scoreboard ticking over, although he should have been caught on 21 when he top-edged a slog sweep off an Ajmal doosra and was put down by Asad Shafiq running in from deep midwicket; the ball had sailed so high the batsmen were able to run two.

Maxwell had come to the crease after Bailey departed for 39 from 46 balls when he pushed a catch back to the bowler Rehman.

scoreboard

AUSTRALIA:

M Wade b Khan    7

D Warner lbw b Ajmal    24

M Clarke lbw b Hafeez    37

M Hussey b Ajmal    61

D Hussey lbw b Ajmal    0

G Bailey c and b Rehman    39

G Maxwell st Kamran b Ajmal    28

D Christian c Ajmal b Khan    18

M Johnson b Khan    2

J Pattinson not out    2

M Starc not out    11

EXTRAS: (lb9, nb5, w5)    19

TOTAL: (9 wkts; 50 overs)    248

FOW: 1-8, 2-74, 3-86, 4-87, 5-153, 6-211, 7-214, 8-235, 9-235

BOWLING: Tanveer 9-0-59-0, Khan 9-0-52-3, Hafeez 10-1-28-1, Rehman 10-0-54-1, Ajmal 10-0-32-4, Ali 2-0-14-0

PAKISTAN: Misbahul Haq (capt), Nasir Jamshed, M Hafeez, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal, Sohail Tanveer, Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman, Junaid Khan

TOSS: Australia

UMPIRES: Nigel Llong (ENG), Ahsan Raza (PAK)

TV UMPIRE: Billy Bowden (NZL)

MATCH REFEREE: Roshan Mahanama