Australia beat Pakistan by 7 wickets: Third T20 – as it happened

Australia have taken an unassailable 2-1 lead in their Twenty20 series against Pakistan after a crushing seven-wicket win in Perth.

Chasing 161 for victory, Australia cruised to victory with 15 balls to spare, with David Warner leading the way with an unbeaten 75 and Steve Smith contributing an unbeaten 59.

The victory was set up by a superb bowling performance from Australia, who restricted Pakistan to just 160 for eight from their 20 overs. Josh Hazlewood was the pick of the bowlers with three for 24, while Adam Zampa took two for 26.

Pakistan got off to a solid start with the bat, with Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan putting on 58 for the first wicket. However, once Hazlewood removed Azam for 36, the innings began to fall apart.

Fakhar Zaman (27) and Mohammad Hafeez (26) offered some resistance, but Australia’s bowlers kept chipping away at the wickets. In the end, Pakistan were left with a below-par total to defend.

Warner and Smith made light work of the chase, putting on 129 for the second wicket. Warner was particularly aggressive, hitting seven fours and three sixes in his 75 off just 49 balls.

Smith was more circumspect, but he still played an important role in the victory, scoring 59 off 48 balls. He hit five fours and a six.

The win gives Australia an unassailable 2-1 lead in the three-match series. The fourth and final match will be played in Canberra on Tuesday.