Pakistan 198 for 5 (Salman 76, Usman 53, Connolly 1-30) beat Australia 108 (Green 35, Abrar 3-14, Shadab 3-26, Tariq 2-16) by 90 runs
Australia may have fielded a stronger side
in the second T20I, but they were no match for a near-flawless Pakistan team, who crushed Australia by 90 runs to seal the series with a game to spare. It is Australia's biggest T20I defeat since 2005, and second biggest overall, and Pakistan's largest victory over Australia.
A splendid innings from a resurgent
Salman Agha, who struck a career-best 76 off 40 balls, got Pakistan flying, while
Usman Khan also posted his highest T20I score, his 53 off 36 helping Pakistan surge to 198.
Much like the first game, Agha and Saim Ayub flayed the Australian attack during the powerplay, putting together 55 in 25 balls, the 72 they managed in the powerplay Pakistan's third T20I score during this phase.
While Adam Zampa's introduction did put the brakes on - and remove Babar Azam cheaply for the second consecutive game - the visitors could never properly rein Pakistan in enough to give their batters a proper go.
Xavier Bartlett in particular bore the brunt of Pakistan's belligerence, conceding 52 in his four and 14 in the final over as Pakistan got to within touching distance of 200.
With Australia falling so far short in their chase of 169
on Thursday, this was always a tall order. They did have the superior experience and batting pedigree of Mitchell Marsh and Josh Inglis, but Pakistan's spinners in these conditions are a well-oiled unit, and have a knack of breaking partnerships in their embryonic stages.
The biggest partnership Australia managed was 24 runs, with Abrar and Shadab accounting for six of the Australian wickets. Cameron Green's takedown of Ayub in the final over of the powerplay, where the latter was smashed for two sixes and a four, represented the flicker of a challenge, one that Pakistan swiftly extinguished as the visitors were skittled for 108.
