Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood and off-spinner Steve O’Keefe wrecked havoc on Pakistan as the host completed a 3-0 whitewash by winning the last and final Test of the three-match series by 220 runs here at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Saturday.
Chasing an improbable target of 465, the Misbah-ul-Haq-led side were bundled out on the final day for 244. Sarfraz Ahmed was the only Pakistani batsman to go past 50, and he remained unbeaten on 72.
Resuming on an overnight score of 55-1, Pakistan were just looking to survive the day. However, the visitors started on a shaky note when Hazlewood removed Azhar Ali (11) in the very first over of the day.
Few overs later, the right-arm pacer further dented Pakistan as he trapped Babar Azam (9) in front of the wickets to leave Pakistan at 67-3. After Hazlewood’s early strikes, it was the spin duo of Nathan Lyon and O’Keefe who made things worse for the visitors. While Lyon accounted for the prized wicket of Younis Khan (13), O’Keefe dismissed overnight batsman Yasir Shah (13), who came as a nightwatcheman, to leave Pakistan at 96 for five.
Misbah-ul-Haq and Asad Shafiq then tried to hold Pakistan innings together and took their side to 128 for five at lunch the last day. But after the lunch break, the duo was separated when Mitchell Starc removed Shafiq (30).
Soon, after the Pakistan innings come to an end as Hazlewood took the last wicket of Imran Khan (0).
Hazlewood and O’Keefe picked three wickets each while Lyon had two wickets against his name. Starc managed lone wicket of Shafiq.
David Warner, who scored a blistering century in the first innings and followed it up with a half-century in the second, was awarded Man of the Match while captain Steven Smith was adjudged Man of the Series.
Australia had already clinched the series following their massive win by an innings and 18 runs in the second match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
The two sides will now battle it out in the five-match ODI series, starting January 13.
