Second one-day international, Dubai:
Australia 208-4 (45.1 overs) beat Pakistan 207 (46.2 overs)
Match scorecard
 Symonds innings featured a six and four boundaries |
Andrew Symonds guided Australia to a series-levelling victory courtesy of a six-wicket win over Pakistan in Dubai. The all-rounder hit 58, putting on a 90-run stand with Michael Clarke (39 not out) as well as taking two wickets, to take Australia past the 208 target. Opener Salman Butt (57) top-scored for Pakistan, while late hitting from Shahid Afridi (41) and Shoaib Akhtar (25) pushed them over the 200 mark. Off-spinner Nathan Hauritz (3-41) was the pick of the Australian bowlers. "Full credit to our bowlers who did well to restrict the Pakistan batsmen despite a bit of sloppy fielding," said stand-in captain Michael Clarke. Pakistan captain Younus Khan, buoyant after his side's four-wicket win on Wednesday, won the toss and opted to bat first. But his side were immediately on the back foot when Ahmed Shehzad was run out in the third over. Younus rallied with Butt before the captain was caught behind off Ben Laughlin with the total on 58. Hauritz soon wrested control of the match in Australia's favour, dismissing Shoaib Malik and Misbah-ul-Haq in quick succession.  | 606: DEBATE |
And when Butt fell with the score at 122-5, Pakistan were close to capitulating. But a bristling innings from Afridi, which featured five boundaries and a six, along with Shoaib's 14-ball cameo, ensured Pakistan's bowlers had some sort of total to defend. Australia lost opener Brad Haddin inside four overs, but all-rounders James Hopes and Shane Watson steadied the innings with a second-wicket partnership of 77. But the tourists lost both batsmen with the score on 93 - Watson (30) was caught by Misbah off Saeed Ajmal while Hopes (48) was trapped lbw to Afridi. New batsmen Clarke and Symonds timed their innings perfectly, patiently compiling their partnership as Pakistan's bowlers desperately searched for a breakthrough. They eventually got it - albeit with Australia cruising to victory - when Afridi bowled Symonds with the score at 183-4. The game was sealed when Callum Ferguson hit the winning runs off Shoaib Malik with both teams level going into the third match on Monday. "We batted well with James Hopes giving us a good start and then Andrew doing the rest," added Clarke. "I hope we can maintain the momentum going to Abu Dhabi." Younus was subsequently fined 50% of his match fee by match referee Jeff Crowe, with the rest of the team fined 20% of theirs - after Pakistan were four overs short of their target. Crowe said: "Younus was warned on several occasions during the match that he was falling behind on the over-rates yet he still did not catch up. "It is not acceptable for teams to bowl their overs too slowly and now Younus must be very careful it doesn't happen again in the next year or he will find himself suspended."
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