A thumping in the end. 197 on this pitch, one felt, was still competitive but it took a lot of grit and concentration from both these batsmen to pull it off quite comfortably in the end.
Australia were under pressure, down two wickets for just three runs. But Clarke and co were determined to finish the series off here, after that superb comeback in the previous game where Pakistan were on top for a good part of their innings.
Clarke was rarely beaten early in his innings, and was particularly brilliant against spinners against whom he used his feet superbly. He charged down the track to anything that was pitched up, and nudged, tickled and dabbed his way to a determined century.
Watson was a bit of contrast, particularly against spin, missing attempted pulls and cuts on numerous occasions but the presence of Clarke helped him, and he too gradually began to open up, getting periodic boundaries to ensure the Pakistanis could never sense a chance.
Australia have proven deserved winners after three consecutive wins while the promise shown by Pakistan, under adversity, in their victory in the first game, sadly for them, didn't reach its desired end. We'll get you the details from the presentation shortly.
Doug Bollinger is the Man of the Match for his five-wicket haul.
Bolly: "It was pretty hot, but I really enjoyed it. I tried to swing the ball, and bowled at a good pace. It worked really well."
Younis: "We committed the same mistake as we did earlier, not scoring much after winning the toss. They won easily in the end. Clarke and Watson had a fantastic partnership, and that's what we've been missing. We will tey our best for the next game and play for our pride."
Michael Clarke: "Bolly bowled brilliantly. Our bowlers stood up once again. Watson played brilliantly upfront. We worked hard, had a good partnership and it worked beautifully. Few cramps along the way, but it worked fine in the end."
Thats all we have from here folks. The series is sealed 3-1, but there is still a matter of a dead rubber on the 3rd of May. Join us then. Thanks for your feedback. Cheers!
END OF OVER:44 | 9 Runs | AUS: 196/2 (2 runs required from 36 balls, RR: 4.45, RRR: 0.33)
- Michael Clarke100 (122b)
- Shane Watson81 (138b)
- Shoaib Akhtar7-0-42-2
- Saeed Ajmal10-1-20-0
Just four away from a century, Clarke
END OF OVER:43 | 6 Runs | AUS: 187/2 (11 runs required from 42 balls, RR: 4.34, RRR: 1.57)
- Michael Clarke96 (120b)
- Shane Watson76 (134b)
- Saeed Ajmal10-1-20-0
- Shoaib Akhtar6-0-33-2
END OF OVER:42 | 7 Runs | AUS: 181/2 (17 runs required from 48 balls, RR: 4.30, RRR: 2.12)
- Michael Clarke90 (114b)
- Shane Watson76 (134b)
- Shoaib Akhtar6-0-33-2
- Saeed Ajmal9-1-14-0
Akhtar back into the attack
END OF OVER:41 | 2 Runs | AUS: 174/2 (24 runs required from 54 balls, RR: 4.24, RRR: 2.66)
- Michael Clarke84 (109b)
- Shane Watson75 (133b)
- Saeed Ajmal9-1-14-0
- Sohail Tanvir7-1-41-0
