Watch: Haris Rauf’s accidental brilliance as he uses boot to stop certain boundary in AUS vs PAK 2nd T20I
Published - 16 Nov 2024, 04:25 PM | Updated - 16 Nov 2024, 11:41 PM
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Pakistan star fast bowler Haris Rauf grabbed everyone's attention with his unintentional fielding brilliance during the second T20I match against Australia. Rauf saved two crucial runs for the Pakistan cricket team while fielding at long-off, despite not being in full control during the ongoing T20I match.
Australia skipper Josh Inglis decided to bat first at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday, November 16. However, their decision backfired as they struggled to reach 150 runs. Openers Jake Fraser-McGurk and Matthew Short gave a flying start, but the other batters couldn't capitalize on the momentum
Watch: Haris Rauf Saves Boundary with Boot
On the second ball of the 12th over in Australia's innings, Glenn Maxwell smashed a length ball towards the boundary. Rauf, who was stationed at long-off, made a desperate dive to stop it. He initially didn't stop the ball cleanly but used his leg to block the ball from crossing the boundary ropes.
Cricket.com.au shared Rauf's fielding effort on X (formerly known as Twitter) with the caption: "It really is Haris Rauf's series #AUSvPAK."
You can watch the video of the unintentional fielding brilliance below:
It really is Haris Rauf's series 🤣 #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/I4YkA7i7Eq
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 16, 2024
Haris Rauf Takes Four Wickets For Just 22 Runs in Four Overs
Jake Fraser-McGurk and Matthew Short added a 52-run stand for the first wicket inside four overs. However, Rauf shifted the momentum by taking two wickets in his opening over. After losing two early wickets, Australian batters struggled to score runs quickly, and they lost wickets at regular intervals.
Haris took 4 wickets for 22 runs as Pakistan bowled Australia out for 147-9 in the second T20. Abbas Afridi secured 3 wickets for just 17 runs. However, Pakistan's fielding was disappointing, with many dropped catches. Matthew Short was the top scorer for the home team with 32 runs off 17 balls.
Best Bowling Figures for Pakistan vs Australia in T20Is
| Figures | Bowler | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/8 | Umar Gul | Dubai | 2009 |
| 4/22 | Haris Rauf | Sydney | 2024* |
| 4/26 | Shadab Khan | Dubai | 2021 |
4/22 by Haris Rauf is also the best bowling figure against Australia in Australia in T20Is.
No Doubt We Are Happy With Bowling Efforts - Pakistan Pacer
During the innings break, Haris said that he was pleased with Pakistan's bowling performance. He stated that the team had assessed the conditions well and adapted to the situation. Rauf hoped that the batters would successfully chase down the target.
"Thanks to the almighty. No doubt we are happy with the bowling efforts and hope we will chase it. We assessed the conditions and just tried to go as per the situation demanded. Hopefully our batters will chase it," Rauf said, as quoted by CREX.
The Australia national cricket team leads the three-match T20I series 1-0 after securing a 29-run victory in a rain-affected match in Brisbane on Thursday, which was reduced to seven overs per side.
