AUSTRALIA has overwhelmed a luckless but plucky Pakistan to claim its fifth one-day series in a row and consolidate its position on top of the world one-day rankings.
The home side drew on its newly found reserves of pace-bowling depth to dismiss the tourists for 246 and prevail by 40 runs, taking a 3-0 lead in the five-match series.
Man of the match Ryan Harris (5-43) and Clint McKay (3-48) ably covered for the resting Mitchell Johnson and injured Peter Siddle, Ben Hilfenhaus and Nathan Bracken by bowling tightly to plans well tailored to the flat Adelaide Oval wicket.
It was not all Australia's way however, with Shahid Afridi (40 from 29 balls) and Naved-ul-Hasan (33) throwing a scare into the home camp - and exposing a few chinks in the hosts' game with a late flurry of boundaries.
Earlier, Shaun Marsh (83), Michael Clarke (80) and Mike Hussey (49 from 28 balls) powered Australia to 6-286 before a sell-out crowd of 15,521 in the partly developed ground.
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Pakistan's chase started brightly, with opener Salman Butt smashing five fours in scooting to 34 from 39 balls.
But his lively hand ended when umpire Asoka de Silva adjudged him leg before to McKay.
Butt was clearly unhappy with the verdict, with some justification as the ball appeared to pitch outside leg stump and also be passing over the bails.
Reportedly facing the sack at the end of the series, touring captain Mohammad Yousuf has much on his mind, and it showed in his eight-ball stay for 11.
Younus Khan took 20 balls to get off the mark, then celebrated by punching his next ball to the cover fence with a superb drive.
When he was well caught by Brad Haddin from a McKay lifter, Pakistan was 4-60 and the run chase was flatlining.
Umar Akmal (59) and Fawad Alam (33) added 85 for the fifth wicket in an impressive rearguard action, but all the while the required run rate was ascending from six to seven per over.
As it had in the previous two games, Australia applied supreme pressure through disciplined length bowling to well-set fields.
In doing so it showed off its newly found fast-bowling depth in the 50-over game, with McKay and Harris making the early inroads then striking again in subsequent spells. McKay now has 12 wickets from five ODIs with a strike rate in the 20s.
Replacing the injured Siddle and playing just his second ODI, Harris made the initial breakthrough when he trapped Kamran Akmal in front for one when the score was 14. In his second spell, he had Umar Akmal caught behind, and he dealt the killer blow when he bowled Afridi.
Doug Bollinger, hardly a veteran in just in his 10th ODI, bowled with discipline to concede 35 runs from nine overs.
Australia's series win follows defeats of India, England, Pakistan and its Champions Trophy triumph.
Yesterday's win was set up by Marsh, who stepped out of man-of-the-moment Watson's wide shadow to have a day out in the bright Adelaide Oval sun.
After modest efforts in the first two one-dayers, Marsh batted with authority, poise and great skill in his 113-ball stay.
The left-hander's innings was all the more impressive given he had to right the ship when Australia stuttered, losing 2-1, including Ricky Ponting without scoring.
Ponting's third-ball duck was another example of his Jekyll and Hyde relationship with the pull shot. He was lbw after he appeared to misjudge the length of a ball that was too full to pull.
Source:theaustralian.com.au/
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