That winds up the Guardian’s coverage of this second ODI in Adelaide. On behalf of Martin Pegan and the G-forces, thanks for following our over-by-over blog and we look forward to your company on Sunday for Australia and Pakistan’s game three decider in Perth from 2.3pm AEST. Over and OUT!

After game three of this ODI series in Perth on Sunday, Australia and Pakistan will contest a three-game T20 series at the Gabba (14 November), Sydney (16 Nov) and Hobart (18 Nov). It’ll be new look outfits for both sides fighting it out:

Australia T20 squad: Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

Pakistan T20 squad: Mohammad Rizwan (c), Abbas Afridi, Agha Salman, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan, Irfan Khan, Jahandad Khan, Naseem Shah, Omair Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Usman Khan.

Australia has crashed to a chastening defeat in game two, beaten by nine wickets with 141 balls to spare. Pat Cummins was philosophical: “We’ve been pretty good of late, but today was right up there with one of our worst unfortunately.” Josh Inglis now has the task of winning the series for Australia in Perth. He will have to do so without Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. That trio with brio will be replaced by Sean Abbott, Marcus Stoinis and Aaron Hardie with spinner Adam Zampa in support.

Haris Rauf bowler has been named Player of the Match for his wonderful 5-29. It’s turning into a wonderful series for “Wreck-It” after his four scalps in Melbourne, the scene of some of his sterling performances for the Melbourne Stars in the BBLPat Cummins then delivers the understatement of the season so far with his assessment that “it wasn’t one of our best days”. Pat won’t be there for Game Three on Sunday, he’ll be cooling his heels in preparation for the Test series against India. The English-born Josh Inglis will captain Australia. Lovely bloke and a talented ‘keeper-batter but don’t think that sentence doesn’t stick in a few craws…

27th over: Pakistan 169-1 (Abdullah 64, Babar 15) Adam Zampa will roll the arm over for a seventh over. Will he get to finish all six balls? Not on your nelly. He gets to the third ball before Babar Azam rocks back and wallops him over the midwicket boundary. That’s their tenth six of the innings and Pakistan have levelled the series!

26th over: Pakistan 163-1 (Abdullah 64, Babar 9) Now Cummins gets CRUNCHED by Abdullah Shafique. That’s FOUR and that boundary gets Pakistan level with Australia. One run for victory… but it will have to wait until the next over.

25th over: Pakistan 159-1 (Abdullah 60, Babar 9) Zampa gets ZONKED! He tossed it up but Abdullah Shafique is in the zone and having fun and he skips down the pitch and plonks Pakistan’s ninth six over the long-on boundary where it is dropped cold in the crowd by a fan who is now getting heaps from his mates.

24th over: Pakistan 148-1 (Abdullah 52, Babar 6) Babar takes a twinset of twos from Pat Cummins’ sixth over as Pakistan move within sight of victory. This is a sobering defeat for Australia. They have now batted poorly two games straight. Cummins saved them with the bat in game one but Australia’s much-vaunted bowling attack has been flayed to all quarters tonight. Now, with the Test stars moving into camp for the series against India, they face the prospect of fielding an undermanned side for game three. Trouble.

23rd over: Pakistan 143-1 (Abdullah 52, Babar 2) Abdullah steals a couple of singles and Babar pockets one too as Zampa tries to claw back some self respect for Australia.

22nd over: Pakistan 140-1 (Abdullah 49, Babar 1) Hazlewood’s hands got ride of Saim, now it’s his guile trying to get rid of Abdullah. He can’t and is driven to midoff for a single. Hazlewood deloys the wobble seam but Babar is up to the challenge and gets off the mark from the fourth ball with a jabbed drive to cover. And now Abdullah inside edges another single to notch his fifty.

21st over: Pakistan 137-1 (Abdullah 47, Babar 0) A rare wicket and rare maiden for Australia as Zampa draws first blood with Pakistan within sight of victory. New batter is Babar Azam and he plays out the dots.

20th over: Pakistan 137-0 (Saim 82, Abdullah 47) Australia have never lost a one-day international by 10 wickets but they’re well on the way to a historic hammering tonight. Will they suffer the ignominy of defeat before the floodlights are even switched on? Josh Hazlewood has the job of keeping the lights on for his side. He’s been recalled for a sixth over. Saim taps a single to move closer to what would be a famous century. If he can do it he’d be a national hero to rival Pakistan’s javelin gold-medallist Arshad Nadeem. But for now it’s Abdullah on strike… and BANG! He lifts Hazlewood over the fence for another mighty SIX. That wasn’t a bad ball by the Hoff. It was short, snarling and directed at the ribs but Abudllah leaned back and put it over the square leg boundary

19th over: Pakistan 130-0 (Saim 81, Abdullah 41) Adam Zampa is normally frugal and lethal. Tonight he’s been loose and his fourth ball is full and fat as a Christmas ham. This time it’s Abdullah Shafique who feasts, swinging across the line and depositing it 10 rows back. Great shot. Suddenly Pakistan need 34 runs from 31 overs.

18th over: Pakistan 122-0 (Saim 80, Abdullah 34) Hardie gets another over despite his first one going for 14 runs. Can he put a stopper on Saim? No. Saim drives through backward point for two, then takes a single. Abdullah takes one from the fourth to get Pakistan’s dangerman back on strike. And that’s why. SIX to Saim! Hardie but it on a hanky and Saim blew it to kingdom come, lofting it way down the ground. That’s 24 runs from two overs for Hardie and six sixes for Saim as he charges to 80 from 67 balls.

17th over: Pakistan 112-0 (Saim 71, Abdullah 33) Another SIX from Saim! Zampa, who has dropped a catch a couple of overs back, threw in the leg-break but Saim skipped down and met it on the up. He gives it the axeman’s jazz and swings it over the fence for his fifth maximum of the innings. Australia are getting embarassed here.

16th over: Pakistan 104-0 (Saim 64, Abdullah 32) Saim welcomes Aaron Hardie into the attack with a lovely flick off the pads for FOUR. That was wide down the leg side to a man with his eye in, and it got what it deserved. Hardie does better on the next few but botches the last. It’s another SIX for Saim! That’s his fourth maximum for the evening and it brings up Pakistan’s 100. Hardie put it short on leg stump and Saim swivelled and swung it sweetly over the rope and into the fence. The Kid from Karachi is on fire. And that will be Drinks. Australia certainly need a shot of something special.

15th over: Pakistan 90-0 (Saim 50, Abdullah 32) This is just Saim’s second ODI for Paistan and he’s making it one to remember. As Cummins kicks into a fifth over, he has 47 from 47 balls… and his luck is running hot tonight as he is DROPPED by Adam Zampa in the deep. Oh no! That was a regulation chance on the boundary but the blonde spinner, still shellshocked from the carnage in his last bowling over, made a meal of it.

14th over: Pakistan 86-0 (Saim 47, Abdullah 31) Come in spinner! Adam Zampa has the ball and Captain Cummins has brought in the field to dry up the ones and twos and tempt another lofty boundary. Will Pakistan continue to attack or will they see off Zampa? Here’s our answer… SIX! That was beautifully slog-swept by Saim and it flew over deep square leg. Poor ball by Zampa – too straight and no fizz on it whatsoever.

13th over: Pakistan 78-0 (Saim 40, Abdullah 30) Superb batting by Saim Ayub has Pakistan within 92-runs of victory. Cummins is rumbling in for a fourth over but the runs are flowing now as Abdullah works a single through midwicket, Saim picks off two through covers and his partner clips an easy single from the fourth. Abdullah has a bite at the last ball too, lofting it over the infield for two. Six from the over. 86 runs to win.

12th over: Pakistan 72-0 (Saim 37, Abdullah 27) Driven for FOUR! Mitchell Starc, recalled for another spell, pitched it up at speed but Saim Ayub is on fire and he thumped it down the ground. Cop that Mitch! Now Saim goes one better off-driving Starc down the ground for SIX! Great batting by the loose limbed Pakistan opener. His frame might be waifish but today it has power and intent. And he finishes the over with another swiped FOUR. Pakistan have hit turbo-mode in Adelaide. That’s 33 runs from the last three overs!

11th over: Pakistan 58-0 (Saim 23, Abdullah 27) Here comes Cummins… and there goes Cummins! That is SIX! The bowler tried to switch it up by coming around the wicket but Saim was more than ready. He goes on one leg and cracks him up, up… and OVER! Big SIX by the 22-year-old from Karachi and that takes Pakistan past fifty. Saim takes him for a single from the next and Abdullah drives for three runs from the fourth. A Saim single from the last makes it an 11-run over from Pat Cummins. That’s a sentence we don’t get to type too often…

10th over: Pakistan 47-0 (Saim 15, Abdullah 24) More bad luck for Hazlewood. He pushed a quicker ball through on Abdullah Shafique and the batter took the bait and swung hard. But he misjudged the pace and bunted it back down the ground where it fell just short of Cummins at mid-on. Next bvall he middles though. WHACK! goes Abdullah, down the ground for FOUR. That hurt Hazlewood but he gives it a rueful clap. The big man from Bendemeer doesn’t clap the next one though as Abdullah opens his shoulders and carves a glorious FOUR. Pakistan are flying!

9th over: Pakistan 39-0 (Saim 15, Abdullah 16) Cummins returns. And finally his miserly run of nine dot balls is broken as Abdullah swings him square for a single. And that screws his figures even further, as Saim advances and attacks, lofting the Australian captain over the infield and into the Adelaide Oval picket fence for a fine boundary. Australia in some trouble!

8th over: Pakistan 34-0 (Saim 11, Abdullah 15) Here comes Josh Reginald Hazlewood for a fourth over. He’s bowled beautifully but unluckily so far. Overthrows have blighted his figures. And here we go again, as Saim inside edges a single from the first delivery. Hazlewood, a bit frustrated now, angles the next one in at a quicker pace. But Abdullah cuts it for two and scampers a single from the next. Hazlewood beats Saim’s inside edge again on the fifth and BANG! drives for four from the last. Nice shot! Another good over for the visitors and another ill-fortuned one for Hazlewood who likely needs a spell.

7th over: Pakistan 26-0 (Saim 7, Abdullah 12) Captain Pat has seen enough and takes the ball himself from Mitchell Starc. Pakistan are scoring at five-per-over here and the game is fast running away from Australia. What can the skipper conjure here? A maiden! Much needed by Australia too.

6th over: Pakistan 26-0 (Saim 7, Abdullah 12) Almost an edge by Abdullah! Even Hazlewood, normally a cool character, had to shake his head incredulously at that. He’d threw the wobble seam delivery in first ball and it very nearly got him a wicket. And now there’s almost a runout as Abdullah, unnerved by that close shave, defends and runs a suicidal single… but the Fraser-McGurk throw is wide and Cummins isn’t backing up on that line and it races away for another FIVE. More free runs for Pakistan.

5th over: Pakistan 20-0 (Saim 7, Abdullah 6) Here comes Starc for his third. He was superb in game one, snaring three wickets at regular intervals to constantly keep Pakistan in check. Abdullah has a swish at the second but it flashes past the bat. Finally Abdullah gets off strike with a flick off the pad for a legbye. Saim skips down to the last and tries to wallop it over midwicket but Starc swings it away and there’s no run. Good over from biug Mitch, just the single run from it.

4th over: Pakistan 19-0 (Saim 7, Abdullah 6) Hazlewood is bending his back but Abudllah catches the inside edge to the first delivery and steals a single. Ayub has a big swing at the third but doesn’t get much timber on it. Catch? No, it’s a sand wedge chip that sails over the bowler and outpaces the fielders at mid-on and mid-off. Pakistan run two.

3rd over: Pakistan 16-0 (Saim 4, Abdullah 6) Starc’s second over was going beautifully, with a touch of swing evident on the third ball and beating Abudllah’s outside edge on the fourth. The fifth ball is a shocker – too wide for wicketkeeper Inglis – and runs to the boundary for FIVE WIDES. Strong start by Pakistan.

2nd over: Pakistan 10-0 (Saim 4, Abdullah 5) It will be the Bendemeer Bullet taking the second over for Australia. Josh Hazlewood missed game one but there’s no rust evident on the amiable 33-year-old today. His first three balls to Saim Ayub are on a lovely length and the batter is wary, defending each before playing and missing at the fourth. Saim gets a leading edge to the fifth, glancing through gully for a single. Abdullah gets a single from the last.

1st over: Pakistan 8-0 (Saim 3, Abdullah 4) Nice shot to get Pakistan under way from Saim Ayub. He gets two from the first Mitchell Starc delivery as Aaron Hardie misfields at square leg. Poor work from the allrounder there, lets hope it doesn’t set the tone for Australia in the field. They were rusty in game one too. Saim slices a single from the fifth which brings Abdullah Shafique on strike and it’s a nice start for him too. He leans forward and caresses it through covers for a glorious FOUR.

Thanks Martin! What an action-packed second stanza we have in front of us tonight – a 163-run frenzy in which Pakistan will be hellbent on squaring the series. If they can do so, backing up their brilliance with the ball with some biffo with the bat, then this victory could double in power. Why? The home side are opting to rest a host of stars for the upcoming Test series against India so it’ll be an understrength home side in game three. But first Pakistan have got to win… and here comes ball one of their innings!

Australia will have their work cut out for them in the second innings but we have learned, in this format at least, that these are the times when they deliver their very best work.

Pakistan showed the way with their four-pronged pace attack and the home side will now turn to their ever-threatening trio of Cummins-Hazlewood-Starc to do much the same.

Thanks for following until now, Angus Fontaine will take over from here and guide you through the second innings from Adelaide Oval. Catch you again on Sunday!

34th over: Australia 161-9 (Zampa 5, Hazlewood 0) DROP! DROP! REVIEW! SIX! Rizwan has six catches to his name but even after making up plenty of ground to get to a skied ball off Zampa he grasses a simple catch. His gloves are all over the place by the time the ball arrives and the Pakistan skipper misses the chance to become the first keeper to take seven catches in an ODI. Zampa is dropped again when Shaheen races around the boundary to get to a lofty pull shot but, just as he did earlier in the innings, then spills the ball into the rope. Pakistan appeal for another caught behind as Zampa encourages Rizwan to use their review, which he kindly does without a hint of success. The Australia spinner then blasts just his second six in his 105th ODI as he hoicks Naseem over the rope.

That over might’ve been worth the price of admission – or perhaps just a streaming subscription – all on its own.

33rd over: Australia 147-9 (Zampa 5, Hazlewood 0) Zampa turns the strike over immediately with a nudge to square leg then Hazlewood holds out Shaheen without threatening to add to the scoring.

32nd over: Australia 146-9 (Zampa 4, Hazlewood 0) Cummins is unable to lead the fightback this time as Rauf gets the better of the Australian captain and claims his second five-wicket haul in ODIs. The 31-year-old almost has a sixth scalp with a deadly yorker to Hazlewood but the No 11 digs it out.

31st over: Australia 145-8 (Cummins 13, Zampa 3) SIX! Cummins smacks Naseem back over his head with a monster shot that clears the fence. The Australia skipper tries much the same from the next ball but can’t time it as sweetly and has to settle for two runs after a lengthy review decides the ball was just kept in play – that looked like a clear boundary to me! The over started with an early shout for lbw as Zampa has a swing and a miss but the ball was tracking down leg.

30th over: Australia 132-8 (Cummins 2, Zampa 2) Rauf is steaming in as the pacer chases just a second five-wicket haul in his 39th ODI. Zampa scrambles to the safety of the non-striker’s end with a glance for one as Cummins then sees Australia through to drinks and an opportunity to reset.

29th over: Australia 131-8 (Cummins 2, Zampa 1) Naseem joins the party with a much-deserved first wicket as Starc edges behind, then almost has two in as many balls as Adam Zampa gets an inside edge to very nearly take out his own stumps. Somehow the ball crosses the front of the stumps and misses leg.

28th over: Australia 130-7 (Cummins 2, Starc 1) Rauf gets Pakistan into Australia’s bowlers within 30 overs with the crucial wicket of Maxwell. The tourists are on top and Australia need their captain to drag them to safety, ideally with a little help from the ever-dangerous Starc, once again.

27th over: Australia 126-6 (Maxwell 14, Cummins 1) Cummins is almost gone before he gets going as Naseem moves the ball narrowly away from both the outside edge and the off stump.

26th over: Australia 123-6 (Maxwell 13, Cummins 1) Rauf is once again the star of the show and has three for 23 from five overs. Australia will be happy to see the back of him, but the Pakistan quick has enough overs left to perhaps still rip through the hosts.

25th over: Australia 120-5 (Hardie 13, Maxwell 11) Naseem Shah returns to the attack and gives the Australians little room to move. Hardie finds a single at square leg and Maxwell adds another with a tip and run just wide of the bowler.

24th over: Australia 118-5 (Hardie 12, Maxwell 10) SIX! Maxwell pulls out a reverse sweep and thunders the ball over what was once deep point. Ayub only pitched that fractionally full but the Australian made him pay full price.

23rd over: Australia 111-5 (Hardie 11, Maxwell 4) Hasnain is pitching the ball back of a length, keeping the Australians playing with caution. Maxwell looks the most comfortable already, finding two runs at backward point but is fortunate not to get more on a swipe to deep square leg that falls short of the fielder.

22nd over: Australia 106-5 (Hardie 10, Maxwell 1) Saim Ayub keeps the pressure on Australia until Hardie finds three runs with a nudge to fine leg. Maxwell smacks his first look at the youngster away to deep cover, and how the Australian powerhouse handles the spinner from here will go a long way to determining the target set for Pakistan.

21st over: Australia 101-5 (Hardie 6, Maxwell 0) Pakistan are right into the middle order now with Smith back in the sheds. Smith’s innings is over after looking comfortable using the bounce to cut away for a boundary that brought up Australia’s 100, surviving a lbw review, and then nicking off from much the same cut shot a second time around. The No 3 was almost out one ball earlier when smacked on the pads as Hasnain cut a delivery back across the batter, only for the review to go with the umpire’s call when the ball was on line to tickle the top of leg.

20th over: Australia 95-4 (Smith 30, Hardie 3) Pakistan turn to spin for the first time in the innings – and in the series – as Saim Ayub is thrown the ball. Ayub beats Hardie’s outside edge with a leg-spinner early in the over before Australia pick up a couple of easy singles. A tidy first ODI over from the 22-year-old in his second international in the format.

19th over: Australia 93-4 (Smith 29, Hardie 3) Pakistan continue with the four-pronged pace attack as Hasnain is back with ball in hand. Smith can’t find a way past the quick as a superb drive goes too straight and thunders into Hasnain hands as he tumbles over in his follow through.

18th over: Australia 92-4 (Smith 29, Hardie 3) Hardie is making a sensibly watchful start to his innings, with measured stroke play and compact defence.

17th over: Australia 88-4 (Smith 27, Hardie 1) A maiden from Shaheen as Australia enter preservation mode. The runs are flowing freely enough, but just like in the first ODI, the regular trickle of wickets remains the concern.

16th over: Australia 88-4 (Smith 27, Hardie 1) Rauf puts Pakistan back on top with the scalp of Labuschagne in the first over after drinks.

15th over: Australia 85-3 (Smith 27, Labuschagne 4) Pakistan go for the jugular with Shaheen back into the attack. But the left-armer barely troubles the Australian pair as they use the angle of the ball coming from around the wicket to pick up easy ones and twos. That’s drinks and it’s fair to say we are evenly poised!

14th over: Australia 81-3 (Smith 27, Labuschagne 1) Rauf sparked a batting collapse on Monday night and has breathed fresh life into this clash with the crucial wicket of the in-form Inglis. The Pakistan quick is putting everything into each delivery and hits the deck a couple of times on the follow through, and must be frustrated to have to do it all again – not once but twice – after a couple of harsh calls for wides barely on the leg side.

13th over: Australia 78-2 (Smith 26, Inglis 18) SIX! Smith immediately makes Pakistan pay for grassing a catch in the previous over as he swivels on his toes and swats Hasnain over backward point and into the stands. The Australian has taken his time to get in but is now showing signs that he’s ready to unleash.

12th over: Australia 70-2 (Smith 19, Inglis 17) DROPPED! Smith flashes away with a drive that takes a thick outside edge and sails straight to Ayub at point, the Pakistan fielder leaping to get hands to the ball but barely slowing it down as it races away to the boundary. Haris Rauf turned the match on Monday night and almost had an immediate impact in Adelaide.

11th over: Australia 61-2 (Smith 13, Inglis 15) Hasnain is showing a bit here as his pace not so much worries Smith and Inglis as limits their stroke play. Both batters find a single off their pads to keep the strike ticking over.

10th over: Australia 59-2 (Smith 12, Inglis 14) You could hardly have found a more elegant stroke than Smith’s to end the previous over, or a more absurd shot that Inglis start this one with. The Australia keeper steps out early to telegraph a ramp shot as Naseem follows his with the ball outside off. Inglis sends the ball flying high and barely over Rizwan behind the stumps but it was an unnecessary risk under the circumstances especially considering it only garnered two runs. A punch through point is a classier stroke and picks up four without any danger.

9th over: Australia 52-2 (Smith 12, Inglis 7) Smith guides a wide ball from Mohammad Hasnain through point to the boundary after the Pakistan speedster had him on the ropes. The Australia No 3 is still to find his timing this afternoon but that’s fifty up for the world champions.

8th over: Australia 47-2 (Smith 8, Inglis 6) Tidy over from Naseem as a tight line restricts Australia to a single from it when Inglis nudges a straight ball through mid-off.

7th over: Australia 46-2 (Smith 8, Inglis 5) Australia’s openers are back in the pavilion early - again - but Pakistan will be hoping to press home their advantage better than they did at the MCG when Smith and Inglis put on 85 from 75 balls in what proved to be a pivotal partnership. Inglis picks up where he left off on Monday, with a stylish drive past point to get off the mark with a boundary.

6th over: Australia 41-1 (Short 19, Smith 8) Smith finally gets on strike and isn’t giving it up again easily as he prods away. A far too wide ball from Naseem releases the pressure as Smith gets off the mark with a boundary through point. The Australian makes it back-to-back boundaries to complete the over with a sublime drive past extra cover.

5th over: Australia 32-1 (Short 19, Smith 0) Short punishes Shaheen again with a pull over midwicket that sails to the boundary from the first ball, then takes few risks with his second life. Shaheen mixes it up to finish with a slower ball but Short picks it early enough. Smith has hardly seen the strike yet.

4th over: Australia 26-1 (Short 13, Smith 0) Short survives after Shaheen drops a sitter and knuckles down to see out the over from Naseem. Mohammad Rizwan has his gloves in the air appealing for caught behind off the last ball of the innings but even his teammates have little interest in backing up their skipper this time.

DROPPED! Shaheen undoes much of his good work in the previous over as Short hooks a shorter ball from Naseem but hits it straight to the Pakistan fielder at deep square-leg. Shaheen gets himself into a good position quickly enough but is still moving when the ball arrives and grasses the catch. Adding insult to injury, it trickles into the boundary.

3rd over: Australia 21-1 (Short 8, Smith 0) Shaheen gets the breakthrough and there can be no argument that Fraser-McGurk was refusing to play the ball on its merits. But the opener has missed another opportunity to make the most of a fast start and a good wicket.

2nd over: Australia 20-0 (Short 7, Fraser-McGurk 13) Fraser-McGurk lets fly with a trio of near-perfect shots through the off side for three boundaries. The first is a cut shot that turns into a punch through cover, the next two more classic drives as the opener punishes anything wide from Naseem Shah.

1st over: Australia 8-0 (Short 7, Fraser-McGurk 1) Shaheen Shah Afridi pitches the first delivery right up in the blockhole but Matt Short punches it out for three past mid-off. He finishes the over with the first boundary of the day from a mis-timed pull past the square-leg umpire. Jake Fraser-McGurk talked up his intention to attack from the get-go, but he sees off Shaheen with caution.

The national anthems ring out, 13 players and a pair of umpires make their way onto the field, and the resident DJ pumps up the volume. Shaheen Shah Afridi has the cherry in his hand and Matt Short is on strike, as Pakistan look to beat Australia for just the third time in their past 15 ODIs to stay alive in the three-match series.

For those already casting a subtle eye towards the mouthwatering Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against India that starts in Perth on 22 November, Australia Test discard Marcus Harris is staking his claim for a recall in the race to replace Warner (and Smith).

The 32-year-old has just reached a half-century in the tour match against India A at the MCG in what, as Jack Snape so eloquently explains, is perhaps the most pivotal innings of Harris’s “good, but never quite good enough” career so far.

We’d perhaps like to think we live in simpler times, at least on the cricket field, and this tale from the West Indian rebel tour to South Africa in 1983 points to a troubled period that should not be forgotten.

The rebels had planned to depart from Barbados in total secrecy, but their cover was blown in spectacular fashion by the Guyanese cricket commentator and journalist Joseph “Reds” Perreira, who lifted the lid on the enterprise after receiving a tip-off from a senior figure in the West Indies game.

Australia were racing towards their 204-run target in the first ODI and only needed another 71 with eight wickets and more than 34 overs up their sleeve when Pakistan quick Haris Rauf dismissed Steve Smith for 44. The wheels quickly fell off the Australia innings from there, at least until Pat Cummins took command with the willow in his first ODI since lifting the Cricket World Cup trophy last year.

Pakistan will surely be better for the run after their entire XI played their first ODI since the same 50-over showpiece event in India. While the first aim today will be to level the three-match series and set up a decider in Perth, Mohammad Rizwan’s are also building towards hosting the ICC’s next 50-over event – the Champions Trophy – in February and March.