Aaron Finch led Australia’s 14-member ODI, T20 squad reach Lahore
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Australia’s 14-member ODI squad have been reached in Lahore to play three international ODI and a T20I, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
Australia bowling Consultant Daniel Vettori also came along with the cricket team.
Great few days training in melbourne before leaving for Pakistan tomorrow. Can’t wait to get over there and get stuck into the ODI and T20 series! 🇦🇺🇵🇰 pic.twitter.com/Dy7fZvluUs
— Aaron Finch (@AaronFinch5) March 22, 2022
Aaron Finch will lead the Australia-XI against the Babar-XI.
Australia and Pakistan have announced the ODI squads.
🚨 Get Your ODIs, T20I Tickets 🚨
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) March 23, 2022
📱 https://t.co/HARU9vrCR3#BoysReadyHain l #PAKvAUS pic.twitter.com/Tbd7GvOaj2
It took until the 13th day of the series, but Australia's persistence to stick with their pre-series game plan has paid dividends, and helped the team set a blueprint for future subcontinent tours, says Mitchell Starc.
Pat Cummins' career-best figures in Asia of 5-56 and four wickets to Starc saw Australia run through Pakistan's lower order as they lost their last seven wickets for just 20 runs, including losing their last five for just four runs, to put Australia in the box seat to dictate terms for the final two days of the Lahore Test match.
After two high-scoring draws in Rawalpindi and Karachi, Australia's 134-run lead after three days at the Gaddafi Stadium with 10 second-innings wickets still in hand gives them another strong "position of opportunity" as Starc put it to claim the Benaud-Qadir Trophy.
"To keep in control of the scoreboard throughout the innings, and once we had a sniff to really stay on it and finish the day like we did today, that's I guess the blueprint," Starc said after his potentially series-defining spell yielded 4-14 off 5.4 overs in a reverse swing masterclass late on day three.
The discipline to 'trust the process' has reaped rewards for Australia after blowing open the Lahore Test on day three, giving them confidence in their subcontinent strategy @Dave_Middleton | #PAKvAUS https://t.co/NMsrwlySwT
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) March 23, 2022
"There's been a clear approach from this group, obviously through our time in Melbourne before we came over and whilst we've been here, to stay pretty calm and to trust our processes.
"There was one comment made early doors, before we played in Rawalpindi, that things might not go the way we planned them out to be but it's not a 'scrap it and start with a blank canvas'.
"We may have to tinker plans and change things really slightly to be where we want to be at.
While Australia had the upper hand in Karachi's second Test last week, the pitch held up well enough for Pakistan to bat for 171 overs in the fourth innings to salvage a draw, inspired by skipper Babar Azam's 425-ball epic of 196.
Starc said Lahore was a "different wicket" that had shown signs of misbehaviour from the start, with reverse swing again set to have a major impact.
"The wicket started out quite slow and dead and we've seen it obviously shoot through lower and lower as the days have gone on," Starc said.