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Australia national cricket team fast bowler Nathan Ellis continued his impressive record against Babar Azam after dismissing the Pakistan star once again during the second ODI in Lahore.
Nathan Ellis produced a match-winning spell to help Australia seal a 41-run win and clinch the series, while also extending his dominance over one of Pakistan’s biggest batting stars.
Nathan Ellis made Babar Azam his bunny
Right-arm fast bowler Nathan Ellis was named player of the match after returning figures of 4/33 from nine overs as Pakistan were bowled out for 190 while chasing 232. Among his wickets was the prized scalp of Babar Azam, whose struggle against Ellis has now become a major talking point whenever the two players face each other.
The Australian seamer has now dismissed the former Pakistan captain thrice in ODI cricket, while conceding only 68 runs in 61 balls. Babar averages just 22.7 against Ellis in the format, highlighting the bowler’s success in keeping one of the world’s premier batsmen under control.
This trend has spread to T20 Internationals as well. In that format, Babar has managed only 21 runs in 13 balls against Ellis and has been out once. In white-ball cricket, Ellis has constantly found ways to trouble Babar Azam.
The latest chapter came during the second ODI in Lahore. Chasing 232, Pakistan needed Babar to get the innings going after early wickets, but Ellis had him out LBW for 16 off 16 balls. This proved to be a significant success as Pakistan were eventually bowled out for 190 runs in 44 overs.
Earlier in the match, Australia scored 231/9 in their 50 overs. Cameron Green scored the highest score of 53 runs while Josh Inglis contributed 51 runs. Matt Renshaw scored 43 runs and Oliver Peak scored 31 runs. Pakistan’s bowlers shared wickets, with Shaheen Afridi taking 3/36, while Arafat Minhas and Abrar Ahmed took two wickets each.
However, Australia’s bowlers made the difference. Ellis brilliantly led the attack with 4/33, while Matthew Kuhnman and Matthew Short took three wickets each to secure a comfortable 41-run victory.
He’s clearly a great – Nathan Ellis on Babar Azam
Despite his excellent record against Babar, Ellis was quick to dismiss suggestions that he had completely understood the Pakistan batsman.
When asked if he had made any plans specifically for Babar, the Australian fast bowler credited the circumstances and acknowledged the quality of the Pakistan star.
The reporter asked, “Can you tell us about Babar Azam’s wicket? It seems like you have worked on that. Is this something you are preparing for?”
“No, and I haven’t got the work done from Babar, that’s for sure. He’s obviously very good, getting a bit of help from the wicket tonight, and these are the balls that were getting the work done. So I’ve managed to get my balls in, and I think he’s gone in well as the pivot of the batting lineup for Pakistan. So, yes, it’s a good sight for us to see the back of Babar,” Ellis replied.
I try not to think too much about wickets – Nathan Ellis
Nathan Ellis also talked about his overall approach towards bowling and revealed that he prefers to focus on adapting to the conditions rather than thinking about individual wickets and records.
The Australian fast bowler believes that the Lahore surface is something different from what is usually seen in modern ODI cricket and the bowlers need to adjust quickly during the innings.
“I try not to think too much about the wickets. Like, it is what it is, you know. It’s one of those things, and I want to adapt to it right away. I mean, obviously tonight, we saw the fast bowlers change quite quickly. We saw reverse swing, and we saw some spin. So it looks a little different to the traditional one-day cricket that we’re seeing around the world at the moment. But, yes, I think there’s room for that too.”
With figures of 2/45 in the first ODI and 4/33 in the second, Ellis has emerged as Australia’s standout bowler in the series and has been a major headache for Pakistan’s batting lineup, especially Babar Azam.
Has Nathan Ellis tracked down Babar Azam? #PAKvAUS pic.twitter.com/ILXeJg2HLa
– cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) June 3, 2026
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