Australia beat Pakistan by 7 wickets in third ODI

PERTH: Powered by a rapid hundred from skipper Steve Smith, Australia sailed to a seven-wicket victory over Pakistan in the third ODI on Thursday.

Australia are up 2-1 in the five-match ODI series.

Fast bowler Junaid Khan dismissed David Warner for 35 while Mohammad Amir trapped Usman Khawaja soon afterwards. However, Smith and debutant Peter Handscomb led Australia's recovery loss of openers early into the innings.

Handscomb got a second life after he was dismissed for a duck but called back after Junaid's delivery was found to be a no-ball. He was dropped off another Junaid delivery later.

Pakistan decelerated to 263 for 7 at the end of 50 overs after Babar Azam's departure.

Batsman Babar Azam joined the record books as he reached 1000 ODI runs, achieving the feat in 21 innings and leveling the record with Sir Viv Richards, Kevin Pietersen, Jonathan Trott and Quinton de Kock.

However, he fell for 84 after guiding Pakistan past 200.

Shoaib Malik departed after an aggressive knock of 39. Opener Sharjeel Khan scored a daring half-century before departing in the third ODI against Australia .

Mohammad Hafeez, captaining the tourists in place of injured Azhar Ali, fell for 4 off a Hazlewood delivery. Asad Shafiq went for 5, leaving Pakistan three down for 99.

Australia captain Steven Smith won the toss and put Pakistan in to bat Thursday with the five one-day international series tied at one all.

Australia chose to rest star paceman Mitchell Starc. He was replaced by rookie quick Billy Stanlake, who bowled just three overs in his international debut in Brisbane in the series opener last Friday before being forced from the field by illness.

Batsman Peter Handscomb was making his ODI debut and replaces the injured Chris Lynn, whose neck problem has ruled him out for the rest of the series.

Pakistan were buoyed by their drought-breaking six-wicket win in game two at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday.

It was their first win in Australia in any format for more than a decade and they made no changes to their team.

Teams

Australia: David Warner, Travis Head, Steve Smith (capt), Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Wade, James Faulkner, Pat Cummins, Billy Stanlake, Josh Hazlewood

Pakistan: Sharjeel Khan, Mohammad Hafeez (capt), Babar Azam, Asad Shafiq, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Mohammad Rizwan, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali, Junaid Khan

Umpires - Simon Fry (AUS) and Chettithody Shamshuddin (IND)

Third Umpire - Chris Gaffaney (NZL)

Match referee - Jeff Crowe (NZL)