Australia and Pakistan will face off for the second ODI of the three-match series on March 31. Lahore’s Gaddafi stadium will host the white-ball contest. Australia leads the series 1-0.

It was a comprehensive win for the visitors in the first ODI. The Aussies posted a daunting total of 313 after being put in to bat first. Travis Head led the way with a brilliant century, which came off just 70 deliveries. He was well supported by Ben McDermott (55) and Cameron Green (40*).

Pakistan started the run-chase brightly as Imam-ul-Haq led the way with a ton at the top of the order. Skipper Babar Azam scored a fifty but a lack of contributions from others saw Pakistan collapse for 225 in the 46th over.

Adam Zampa was the pick of the Aussie bowlers, picking up four wickets to set up an 88-run win for the visitors.

The Australian team will want to carry forward the momentum from the first ODI and seal the series in the second match itself.

PAKISTAN VS AUSTRALIA MATCH DETAILS:

Match: Pakistan vs Australia, 2nd ODI, Australia tour of Pakistan, 2022
Date and Time: March 31st, 2022, Thursday, 03:30 PM IST
Venue: Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore

PAKISTAN VS AUSTRALIA PITCH REPORT

The pitch at Gaddafi Stadium is a balanced track. The batters have to be patient while playing their strokes. Once set, they can play their shots freely. The spinners will play a major role while bowling on this surface as the ball tends to hold a bit on the surface. Overall, it is a good surface to bat on.

PAKISTAN VS AUSTRALIA WEATHER FORECAST

Clear skies will greet both sides on Thursday. Temperatures in Lahore are expected to range between 20-36 degrees Celsius.

PAKISTAN VS AUSTRALIA PROBABLE XI

PAKISTAN

Haris Rauf and Zahid Mahmood picked up two wickets each but failed to keep a check on the scoring rate as the Australian side posted 313 in the first ODI. Imam-ul-Haq scored a ton (103 off 96 balls) but the lack of contributions from the other batters resulted in them losing the game by 88 runs.

PROBABLE XI

Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Haris Rauf, Zahid Mahmood

AUSTRALIA

Contributions from Travis Head (101), Ben McDermott (55), and Cameron Green (40*) helped them post 313 on the board. Adam Zampa picked up four wickets and two strikes each from Mitchell Swepson and Head helped them defend the total successfully.

PROBABLE XI

Travis Head, Aaron Finch (c), Ben McDermott, Marnus Labuschagne, Marcus Stoinis, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Sean Abbott, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Mitchell Swepson

PROBABLE TOP PERFORMERS

PROBABLE BEST BATTER OF THE MATCH: BEN MCDERMOTT

Ben Mcdermott has turned it on in his last few outings for Australia in the white ball leg and a big inning is around the corner for him soon. The 27-year-old scored 55 off 70 balls in the first ODI coming in at three and hitting four fours in his decent knock. He looked very comfortable at the crease and will be looking to convert his half-century into a big knock this time around in the second game.

PROBABLE BEST BOWLER OF THE MATCH: ADAM ZAMPA

Adam Zampa has been one of the best white-ball spinners in the last two to three years around the world and he has been a silent performer always. The leg spinner hasn’t failed to impress and rarely has had an off day with the ball in recent times. He will look to get the best out of the subcontinent pitches. The 29-year-old picked up 4 for 38 in the first ODI and has shown a lot of progress in his bowling.

PAKISTAN VS AUSTRALIA MATCH PREDICTION

An all-around performance from the Aussies saw them defeat Pakistan comprehensively in the first ODI. Pakistan was outplayed in the first ODI and needs to be at their absolute best to level the series. The Aussies will be looking to seal the series in the second ODI itself.

Australia has the winning momentum behind them and expects them to carry it forward by beating Pakistan on Thursday.

Prediction: Australia to win this encounter.