Glenn Maxwell fell two runs short of his second ODI hundred
Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo
Glenn Maxwell scored a brilliant 98 as Australia survived centuries from debutant Abid Ali and Mohammad Rizwan to beat Pakistan by six runs in the fourth ODI in Dubai.
Being put in to bat first, Australia got off to a good start as captain Aaron Finch and Usman Khawaja amassed a 56-run partnership before Finch was trapped lbw off the bowling of Mohammad Hasnain for 39.
Shaun Marsh only made five runs before he was stumped by Rizwan off the bowling of stand-in captain Imad Wasim.
Imad than took out Peter Handscomb for seven runs, while Marcus Stoinis was clean bowled by Yasir Shah for two runs.
Khawaja went on to score 62, which came off 78 balls and included six boundaries, before he was given out lbw off the bowling of Yasir.
Maxwell and Alex Carey stabilised the innings with a 134-run partnership, during which both batsmen surpassed their half-centuries.
However, just as Maxwell was within touching distance of his hundred, he was run out by Shan Masood for 98, which came off 82 balls and included nine boundaries and three sixes.
With Carey going on to score a 67-ball 55, which included three boundaries, Australia finished on 277/7.
Hasnain, Imad and Yasir picked up two wickets apiece.
Chasing 278 to win, Pakistan were dealt a big blow on the fifth ball as Shan was clean bowled by Nathan Coulter-Nile for a duck.
Abid and Haris Sohail made up for the loss of Shan with a 74-run partnership before Haris was caught by Maxwell at cover off the bowling of Nathan Lyon for 25.
Abid Ali and Rizwan kept the runs flowing with a 144-run partnership, during which Abid brought up his hundred and Rizwan his fifty.
Abid Ali celebrates after scoring a hundred on debut
Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo
Abid ended up making a career-best 112, which came off 119 balls and included nine boundaries, before he was dismissed by Adam Zampa.
Coulter-Nile proceeded to take out Umar Akmal and debutant Saad Ali, while Kane Richardson sent Imad packing for one run.
Rizwan went on to score a 102-ball 104, which included nine boundaries and a six, before he was removed by Stoinis.
Mohammad Rizwan scored his second ODI century
Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo
With Stoinis taking out Usman Khan Shinwari three balls later, which was the penultimate ball of the match, Pakistan fell short of their target as they finished on 271/8.
Coulter-Nile was the most successful bowler, while Stoinis took two and Zampa, Lyon and Richardson claimed one wicket each.
Maxwell was named Man of the Match.