Australia National Cricket Team pacer 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 register a 41-run victory and take control of the series, while also extending his dominance over one of Pakistan's biggest batting stars.

Nathan Ellis makes Babar Azam his bunny

The right-arm pacer Nathan Ellis was named Player of the Match after returning figures of 4/33 in nine overs as Pakistan were bowled out for 190 while chasing 232. Among his wickets was the prized scalp of Babar Azam, whose struggles against Ellis have now become a major talking point whenever the two players face each other.

The Australian seamer has now dismissed the former Pakistan captain three times in ODI cricket while conceding only 68 runs from 61 deliveries. Babar's average against Ellis in the format stands at just 22.7, highlighting the bowler's success in keeping one of the world's premier batters under control.

The trend has also extended into T20 Internationals. In that format, Babar has managed only 21 runs from 13 balls against Ellis and has been dismissed once. Across white-ball cricket, Ellis has consistently found ways to trouble Babar Azam.

The latest chapter came in Lahore during the second ODI. Chasing 232, Pakistan needed Babar to anchor the innings after early wickets, but Ellis trapped him lbw for 16 off 16 balls. It proved to be a significant breakthrough as Pakistan eventually folded for 190 in 44 overs.

Earlier in the match, Australia posted 231/9 from their 50 overs. Cameron Green top-scored with 53 while Josh Inglis contributed 51. Matt Renshaw added 43 and Oliver Peake chipped in with 31. Pakistan's bowlers shared the wickets, with Shaheen Afridi picking up 3/36, while Arafat Minhas and Abrar Ahmed claimed two wickets each.

However, Australia's bowlers made the difference. Ellis led the attack brilliantly with 4/33, while Matthew Kuhnemann and Matthew Short picked up three wickets between them to seal a comfortable 41-run victory.

He's obviously a great - Nathan Ellis on Babar Azam

Despite his outstanding record against Babar, Ellis was quick to dismiss suggestions that he has completely figured out the Pakistan batter.

When asked whether he had worked out a plan specifically for Babar, the Australian pacer credited the conditions and acknowledged the quality of the Pakistan star.

"Could you tell us about the Babar Azam wicket? It seems like you have him worked out. Is it something that you have been preparing?," the reporter asked.

"No, and I haven't got Babar worked out, that's for sure. He's obviously a great, a bit of assistance from the wicket tonight, and those are the balls that were working. So I managed to get mine to sneak through, and I think he's well known to be sort of the linchpin of the batting lineup for Pakistan. So, yeah, to see the back of Babar is a good sight for us," Ellis repliedm

I try not to think about the wickets too much - Nathan Ellis

Nathan Ellis also spoke about his overall approach to bowling and explained that he prefers focusing on adapting to conditions rather than thinking about individual wickets and records.

The Australian seamer felt the Lahore surface offered something different from what is generally seen in modern ODI cricket and required bowlers to adjust quickly during the innings.

"I try not to think about the wickets too much. Like, it is what it is, you know. It's one of those things, and I just want to adapt on the fly. I mean, clearly tonight, we saw the fast bowlers going to change up pretty early. We saw reverse swing, and we saw some spin. So it looks a little bit different to the traditional one-day cricket we're seeing around the world at the moment. But, yeah, I do think there's a place for it 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 continues to be a major headache for Pakistan's batting lineup, particularly Babar Azam.

Has Nathan Ellis got Babar Azam figured out? #PAKvAUS pic.twitter.com/ILXeJg2HLa

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) June 3, 2026