Fab Finch pummels Pak
Aaron Finch struck back-to-back centuries to lead Australia to another thumping eight wicket victory over a hapless Pakistan in the second one-day international in Sharjah on Sunday.
The Australian skipper smashed 143-ball 153 not out for his 13th ODI hundred -- also his highest score in ODIs -- to anchor Australia's comfortable chase of a 285-run target in 47.5 overs which gave them a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
Finch, who scored 116 in Australia's eight wicket win in the first game at the same venue on Friday, put on a solid 209-run opening wicket stand with Usman Khawaja who made 109-ball 88.
Finch struck six sixes11 boundaries in a dominating innings, improving on his previous highest one-day score of 148 against Scotland at Edinburgh in 2013.
The victory was more memorable as it was 100th ODI match between the two.
Pakistan had replaced fast bowler Mohammad Amir with Mohammad Hasnain for rookie 18-year-old's first one-day and that left them more deeply inexperienced, having already rested six main players from the series.
Finch and Khawaja thrived against the novice attack, with Finch striking two sixs in the final overs while Khawaja's knock had eight boundaries.
Finch completed his hundred with a couple off Hasnain on his 97th ball, making successive hundreds for a second time in his career. He scored consecutive hundreds against England in Australia last year.
Khawaja fell to Yasir Shah with 76 needed while Glenn Maxwell cracked two sixes in his 19 before being run out.
Pakistan owd their total of 280-7 -- after winning the toss -- to Mohammad Rizwan's maiden century.
Rizwan, only playing because regular keeper and skipper Sarfraz Ahmed has been rested for the series -- added 52 for the third wicket with HarisSohail (34) and an invaluable 127 for the fifth wicket with stand-in captain Shoaib Malik.
SCORES IN BRIEF
PAKISTAN: 284 FOR 7 (Rizwan 115, Sohail 34, Malik 60; Richardson 2-16, Coulter-Nile 2-52)
AUSTRALIA: 285 for 2 in 47.5 overs (Khawaja 88, Finch 155 not out; Shah 1-60)
Result: Australia won by 8 wickets and lead the 5-match series 2-0.
Player-of-the-match: AJ Finch
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