Australia made one change for the third and final one-day international against Pakistan in Lahore on Thursday, bringing in Cooper Connolly for leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha as the visitors tried to clinch the series decider. Captain Josh Inglis won the toss and chose to bat first at a venue where Australia had already levelled the contest with a 41-run victory in the second match.
Pakistan kept the same playing XI for the third straight game after winning the opening ODI in Rawalpindi last week by five wickets. The home side again backed its spin-heavy attack, featuring Abrar Ahmed, Arafat Minhas, Shadab Khan and Salman Ali Agha, in conditions they hoped would help slow Australia’s batting.
The start of play was delayed by 15 minutes after a brief thunderstorm and rain in Lahore, adding a minor interruption before the decisive match got underway.
Australia’s lineup featured Matthew Short, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Matthew Renshaw, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Cooper Connolly, Oliver Peake, Nathan Ellis, Matthew Kuhnemann and Adam Zampa.
Pakistan named Sahibzada Farhan, Maaz Sadaqat, Babar Azam, Ghazi Ghori, Salman Ali Agha, Abdul Samad, Shadab Khan, Arafat Minhas, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Abrar Ahmed.
The match is the series decider after both teams won one game each in the three-match ODI contest. Pakistan entered the final game with momentum from its win in Rawalpindi, while Australia responded strongly in the second ODI to force Thursday’s winner-takes-all finish in Lahore.
Australia’s decision to change one player underlined its attempt to balance pace, spin and batting depth on a surface expected to assist slower bowlers as the series reached its conclusion. Pakistan’s unchanged XI reflected confidence in continuity and in a spin attack built to exploit home conditions.
With both teams fielding experienced and youthful options, the final ODI carried significance beyond the series result, offering another test for Pakistan’s evolving batting order and Australia’s combinations ahead of future limited-overs assignments.
