PAK vs AUS: Shaheen Afridi traps Aaron Finch plumb for a golden duck in 2nd ODI

Australian skipper Aaron Finch was dismissed for a golden duck by left-arm seamer Shaheen Afridi in the second ODI between Pakistan and Australia that is being held in Lahore. In the very first over of the match, Afridi bowled a full delivery that swung into Finch.

The batter missed it, and the ball hit his pad on the full. When Afridi appealed, the experienced umpire Aleem Dar had no hesitation in lifting the finger as Finch departed without troubling the scorers. Even in the first ODI, Finch could not score big, as he walked back for 23 off 36 deliveries.

The official Twitter handle of Pakistan Cricket posted a video of Finch’s dismissal. The caption on the video read “Shaheen hits the bullseye”. You can see the video of Afridi dismissing Finch in the second ODI match below.

Shaheen hit's the bullseye 🎯#BoysReadyHain l #PAKvAUS pic.twitter.com/NcwtN06Ht2

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) March 31, 2022

Travis Head and Ben McDermott help Australia recover after Aaron Finch’s dismissal

However, the Aussies recovered after their early loss, as opener Travis Head and Ben McDermott forged a superb partnership of 162 runs for the second wicket. While Head scored a blistering 89 off 70 deliveries, McDermott helped himself to a 108-ball 104.

As far as the series is concerned, this is a must-win match for the Babar Azam-led side. The hosts are already 0-1 down in the series, and a loss in the second ODI would mean that Pakistan will surrender the ODI series to their opponents.

In the first ODI, the Australian side outplayed Pakistan. The kangaroos wielded the willow first and posted a total of 313/7 on the board, with Travis Head scoring a superb ton. The Pakistan side ran out of steam in the run chase.

Only Imam-ul-Haq, who scored 103, and batting talisman Babar Azam (57 runs), showed some fight, as the rest of the Pakistan batters produced poor performances. Six batters could not score in double digits, as the hosts were bowled out for a total of 225.