Naseem Shah IN or OUT? Pakistan Cricket spills beans for 2nd ODI vs Australia
Published - 06 Nov 2024, 04:09 PM | Updated - 06 Nov 2024, 11:40 PM
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In a timely boost for Pakistan, young pace sensation Naseem Shah has fully recovered from cramps that forced him to leave the field mid-over in the first ODI against Australia at the MCG. Despite the setback, Naseem conceded 39 runs while claiming a wicket in his 7.2 overs against Australia.
Naseem Shah even impressed one and all with the stunning batting show, smashing 40 off 39 balls, including a boundary and four sixes, but his all-around heroics couldn’t help Pakistan escape from a narrow two-wicket loss, giving Australia a 1-0 lead in the ongoing three-match ODI series.
Naseem Shah fit for second ODI as Pakistan aims to bounce back in Adelaide
As the Pakistan cricket team gears up for the second ODI against Australia in Adelaide on November 8, Naseem Shah’s full participation in the practice session on Tuesday, November 6, is a promising sign. It is being said that Naseem has fully recovered from his recent injury and is ready to return to action.
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Sources close to the Pakistan team revealed that Naseem Shah is declared fit to play in the second ODI, strengthening the tourists’ bowling arsenal as they look to level the ODI series in Adelaide.
The Pakistan cricket team management, including captain Mohammad Rizwan, coach Jason Gillespie, and selector Asad Shafiq, will finalize their lineup for the second ODI after tomorrow’s practice, as they are currently assessing the Adelaide pitch conditions before settling on the playing XI.
Pakistan aims to end their winless streak in Adelaide
Meanwhile, the Pakistan team arrived in Adelaide after a rest day, fully focused on refining their batting, bowling, and fielding strategy to bounce back strongly in the ongoing three-match ODI series. However, Pakistan’s record in Adelaide is not impressive at all, with only one win in eight encounters here, and that win came back in 1996 under Wasim Akram’s captaincy.
Since then, Pakistan never won an ODI match in Adelaide, with their last ODI loss coming back in 2017 when Australia posted a formidable 369 on the board, thanks to now-retired David Warner’s 179 and Travis Head’s 128. With Naseem Shah back at full strength, Pakistan is now hoping to rewrite history against Australia by ending their winless streak in Adelaide.
Australia equals West Indies’ record with MCG ODI win
Notably, Australia achieved a major milestone with a thrilling two-wicket win over Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in the first ODI. This win marked Australia’s 71st ODI victory against Pakistan, equalling West Indies’ record for the most ODI wins against the Men in Green.
The Australians have now won 71 of their 109 ODIs against Pakistan, while Pakistan has managed just 34 wins in these encounters. On the other hand, the West Indies reached the same milestone of 71 victories but did so over 137 matches against Pakistan.
Sri Lanka holds the third place with 59 ODI wins over Pakistan in 157 matches. England and India are tied with 57 victories each against Pakistan in ODI cricket, with England taking 92 matches and India 135 matches to win those games.
