The big story: Pakistan beat Australia by six wickets to level series 1-1

Pakistan beat Australia by six wickets in the second ODI at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday to end a 12-year winless run Down Under. The victory also saw them level the ongoing one-day series 1-1.

Chasing Australia’s target of 221, Pakistan clinched the win with 14 balls to spare.

Mohammad Hafeez was the top-scorer for Pakistan with 72, while Shoaib Malik made an unbeaten 42 to take them over the line and clinch their first win in any format against Australia in Australia since 1995.

Earlier, Australia were bowled out for 220 with Mohammad Amir picking up three wickets. Junaid Khan and Imad Wasim chipped in with two wickets apiece.

Other top stories

Cricket

  • England scored 350/7 against India in the first ODI in Pune on Sunday. This is their highest ever ODI score in India.
  • The one-off Test between India and Bangladesh has been pushed by a day and will now take place from Feb 9-13 here, PTI reported.
  • Three quick wickets saw New Zealand take an upper hand going into the final of the first Test against Bangladesh. Bangladesh ended the penultimate day on Sunday with a 122-run lead on 66/3.
  • Australia on Sunday named a spin-heavy 16-man squad with four specialist slow bowlers in it for their four-match Test tour of India in February-March.

Tennis

  • World No. 1 Andy Murray will set out on Monday to clinch his maiden Australian Open title. He has so far lost five times in the final at the major. 

Badminton

  • Indian shutter Parupalli Kashyap has hurt his shoulder during his match against HS Prannoy in the finals of the Premier Badminton League. He is likely to miss the Malaysia Grand Prix Gold, scheduled to begin on January 16.

Football

  • Chelsea manager Antonio Conte said that he was unsure when Diego Costa will return from injury after leaving him out for Saturday’s 3-0 win at Leicester City at King Power Stadium on Saturday night.   
  • Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino said that defender Jan Vertonghen sustained a “bad” injury in the 4-0 Premier League win over West Brom.   
  • Manchester United will host rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford for a Premier League clash on Sunday night. 
  • The India U-17 football team lost to Estonia U-18 side 1-2 in the Valentin Granatkin Memorial Cup in Moscow on Sunday.

Athletics

  • Tanzania’s Alphonce Simbu won the men’s elite full marathon event while Kenya’s Bornes Kitur bagged the women’s title at the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon on Sunday, PTI reported. Among Indians, Kheta Ram was the fastest among Indian men, while Jyoti Gawte came first in the Indian women’s category.