Haris Rauf breathed fire as Pakistan demolished Australia at the Adelaide Oval to draw level in the three-match series. The speedster finished with figures of 8-0-29-5 and helped the visitors secure a comprehensive nine-wicket win on Friday. Chasing a modest target of 164 on an excellent batting pitch, Pakistan romped past the finish line with 23.3 overs to spare.
Australia vs Pakistan, 2nd ODI Highlights
It did not spring a surprise that Rauf won the Player of the Match award. Rauf also tormented the Australian batters at the MCG, although Pakistan lost by two wickets. But in Adelaide, Rauf’s efforts did not go in vain. Amongst the players in their squad, the 31-year-old Rauf knows the Australian conditions like the back of his hand.
The pace gun brought forth all his experience of playing for the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League (BBL). Rauf enjoys bowling on the bouncy pitches in Australia and that showed in both Melbourne and Adelaide.
“I’ve played a lot for the Melbourne Stars, so I know these conditions where we bowl,” Rauf said in the post-match presentation ceremony.
Haris Rauf rises from BBL
For Rauf, the 2019-20 season was his most memorable in the BBL. Playing as a cover for Dale Steyn, he took 20 wickets from 10 games at an economy rate of 7.05. Firstly, Rauf rattled Hobart Hurricanes with a five-wicket haul at the Ted Summerton Reserve in Moe.
Rauf upped his game to take a hat-trick against Sydney Thunder at the MCG where he got the wickets of Callum Ferguson, Matthew Gilkes and Daniel Sams. Rauf went on to play three more seasons for the Stars before going unpicked in the drafts for the upcoming season.
Rauf has now made sure that Pakistan have a realistic chance of beating Australia in a bilateral series away from home. After the win in Adelaide on Fantastic Friday, Rauf was over the moon, especially while performing with Pakistani fans swarming the stands.
“We are so happy to win this game. Yeah, Pakistan fans come out to see us everywhere in the world,” Rauf added.
In 22 BBL matches, Rauf has taken 36 wickets at an economy rate of 7.75. Currently, the leading wicket-taker with eight scalps, Rauf’s role in the series decider on Sunday, November 10 at the Perth Stadium will hold a lot of significance if Pakistan are to claim the series.
