Pakistan vs Australia 3rd T20I Match Today highlights: Mohammad Nawaz picked up five wickets to bundle out Australia to 96 runs. Earlier, Saim Ayub 56(37) and Babar Azam 50(36) chipped in with half-centuries to help Pakistan to get 207/6 from 20 overs. Pakistan skipper Salman Agha won the toss and opted to bat first against Mitchell Marsh’s Australia.
Even though the Australian team touring Pakistan is not at full strength, this has been a buoyant series for hosts Pakistan, coming on the cusp of the T20 World Cup. On Sunday, Pakistan whitewashed Australia. If the first T20I was won by just a 22-run margin, Pakistan showed their strength in a 90-run victory on Saturday, and on Sunday, Australia was bashed by 111 runs.
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After the defeat in the second T20I, former Pakistan players like Moin Khan questioned the seriousness of the Australian team to play in the series, with some commentating that it looked like the visitors were in Pakistan just to finish a formality.
Teams:
Pakistan (Playing XI): Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha(c), Babar Azam, Khawaja Nafay(w), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed
Australia (Playing XI): Mitchell Marsh(c), Matthew Short, Cameron Green, Matt Renshaw, Marcus Stoinis, Josh Philippe(w), Mitchell Owen, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Adam Zampa
Match EndedAustralia tour of Pakistan, 2026 – 3rd T20I
Pakistan
207/6 (20.0)
vs
Australia
96 (16.5)
Match Ended ( 3rd T20I )
Pakistan beat Australia by 111 runs
‘It is as if they are fulfilling a formality’: Former Pakistan players question depleted Australia squad’s seriousness
Australia’s Mahli Beardman, right, celebrates with teammate after the dismissal of Pakistan’s Shadab Khan, left, during the first T20 cricket match between Pakistan and Australia, in Lahore, Pakistan, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
With the Australia team fielding three debutants while resting most of the big names who have travelled to Pakistan in the 1st T20I, former PAK cricketers and other experts are of the opinion that the Mitchell Marsh-led team weren’t really taking the series seriously.
Australia have already rested Pat Cummins, Josh Hazelwood, Tim David, Glenn Maxwell and Nathan Ellias for the series but the players who were available like skipper Marsh, Marcus Stoinis, Josh Inglish, Scott Abbott and Ben Dwarshuis, did not feature in the first match on Thursday.
“In recent times we have seen New Zealand, South Africa, Australia come with weakened teams to Pakistan. It is as if they are fulfilling their formality to play a series,” former Test captain, Moin Khan said.
