June 16  
Younis shines as Pakistan level series


MELBOURNE: Younis Khan, with a match-winning 56 not out, led Pakistan to a two-wicket win over World Cup champions Australia here at the indoor Colonial Stadium on Saturday to level the One-day International series 1-1.

Pakistan made 168 for eight off 48.5 overs after bowling out Australia for 167. Pakistan captain Waqar Younis, batting with a runner because of a leg injury, hit Glenn McGrath over third man for the winning run.

The result meant the three-match series was tied at one apiece ahead of the final game next Wednesday in Brisbane. Australian captain Ricky Ponting made the mistake of bowling Brett Lee late in the innings, while No.1 strike bowler McGrath still had three overs left.

McGrath, who conceded only nine runs in his first seven overs, did not return until the 47th over and finished with 0-16 from 8.5 overs. Lee returned 2-44 from his 10 overs. Lee and Shoaib Akhtar, the two main drawcards for this series, claimed two wickets apiece after missing game one.

TV umpire Simon Taufel made two controversial rulings in favour of Australia. He gave Wasim Akram run out for 10 late in Pakistan's innings. Lee was in Wasim's way as he tried to reach the non-striker's end and it was a close decision after a direct hit from Ponting at backward point.

Damien Martyn top-scored for Australia with 56, but was on seven when he mistimed a pull shot off Wasim to Waqar Younis at mid-on. Waqar claimed a catch low to the ground and Taufel took about three minutes to rule in Martyn's favour. The match attracted 16,981 fans, up on Wednesday night's 11,000 but still well short of what the Australian Cricket Board would have hoped.

Opener Saeed Anwar had a terrible return to international cricket, dismissed for a duck on the third ball of the innings. Saeed, who had not played for Pakistan since late last year because of a hand injury, had not faced a ball when he backed up too far and a direct hit from Shane Watson at mid-off ran him out.

Lee conceded five early wides, but suddenly became deadly and dismissed Imran Nazir and Azhar Mahmood in one over to leave Pakistan at 21-3. Younis stabilised the innings with his knock, which came off 76 balls and included four boundaries. Andy Bichel followed on from his 3-30 in the first match to take 1-28 from 10 overs.

Wasim Akram inspired Pakistan by grabbing the first two Australian wickets off only three balls. Akram finished with 3-18 while all-rounder Shahid Afridi's leg spin accounted for three for 28 to send the World Cup champions reeling.

Shoaib Akhtar, the world's fastest bowler, also chipped in with 2-30. Akram had Adam Gilchrist, the Man of the Match in Wednesday's seven-wicket win, caught behind by Rashid Latif off the first ball of the match. Two balls later Ponting was caught and bowled by Akram for another duck.

Opener Jimmy Maher was caught behind off Akram for 12 at 23 for three in the ninth over before Martyn and Darren Lehmann added 66 in 90 balls for the fourth wicket.

Lehmann was then caught behind off Azhar Mahmood for 31 in the 23rd over to leave Australia 89-4. Australia lost their last five wickets for 29 as leg-spinner Afridi and Akhtar ripped through the lower order.

Both sides had made two changes apiece, with Brett Lee and Maher taking the places of Jason Gillespie and Matthew Hayden in the Australian line-up.

Lee's return set up a pace duel with Shoaib Akhtar, who came back for Mohammad Sami, but it never materialised.