Pakistan opt to bowl against Australia in second ODI in Lahore
Pakistan won the toss and elected to bowl first against Australia in the second ODI in Lahore. The hosts lead the series 1-0 after a strong win in Rawalpindi led by debutant Arafat Minhas.
LAHORE: Pakistan won the toss and chose to field first against Australia in the second one-day international at Gaddafi Stadium on Tuesday.
Pakistan captain Shaheen Afridi and Australia’s Josh Inglis were present at the toss, where the home side elected to bowl. Pakistan went into the match with a 1-0 lead in the series after beating Australia in the opening ODI in Rawalpindi on Saturday.
That win was driven by debutant all-rounder Arafat Minhas, who took five wickets in the first match. Pakistan’s slow bowlers picked up eight wickets in total, exposing Australia’s long-standing difficulties against quality spin in subcontinental conditions.
The action then shifted to Lahore, where conditions have generally been favourable for batters. Gaddafi Stadium has hosted several high-scoring matches in recent years, including Australia’s chase of 352 against England during last year’s Champions Trophy and Pakistan’s successful pursuit of 349 against Australia in 2022.
Australia arrived in Pakistan with several senior players unavailable.
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