ADELAIDE - Recalled paceman Josh Hazlewood took four wickets as Australia dismissed a wasteful Pakistan for 213 runs at the Adelaide Oval on Friday, boosting the co-hosts' hopes of a World Cup semi-final with India.
Hazlewood, replacing seamer Pat Cummins, combined with left-armer Mitchell Starc to remove Pakistan's openers cheaply and returned to punch a hole through the Asian team's middle-order on a sun-drenched autumn day.
Part-time spinner Glenn Maxwell took two wickets and Aaron Finch three catches at deep midwicket, as captain Misbah-ul-Haq and two other Pakistan right-handers gave up their wickets on a platter when attempting to clear the short boundary.
Misbah won the toss and opted to bat first but the move backfired with openers Sarfraz Ahmed and Ahmed Shehzad both out within three balls before the sixth over.
Sarfraz, on 10, edged a quicker ball from Starc to Shane Watson who took a fine, low catch diving to his right in the slips.
Hazlewood (4-35) then struck to remove Shehzad for five, the opener edging behind to Australia captain Michael Clarke.
Misbah was nearly out for a duck two balls later when the ball brushed his stump after clipping his thigh pad, but the bails stayed intact.
He and number three batsman Haris Sohail battled to steady the innings and the Pakistan skipper smashed Maxwell over the fence twice.
But Maxwell had the last laugh, breaking the 73-run partnership when Misbah miscued a slog-sweep straight to Finch in the 24th over.
The writing was on the wall when Mitchell Johnson had Sohail out for 41 soon after, following up a venomous bouncer with a wide, fuller delivery to the left-hander who sent a leaden-footed edge to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin.
Infuriatingly for Pakistan fans, Umar Akmal (20) and Shahid Afridi (23) repeated their captain's horrid dismissal, holing out to Finch on the rope off the bowling of Maxwell and Hazlewood respectively.
That left Pakistan reeling at 158-6, but paceman Wahab Riaz added 30 runs with Sohaib Maqsood before the middle order batsman slashed Hazlewood straight to Johnson at cover to be out for 29.
Wahab was out a few balls later for 16, nicking Starc behind to Haddin, before Sohail Khan sent a top-edge from a Hazlewood ball soaring high into the sky before landing in the wicketkeeper's gloves.
Pakistan's tailenders nudged their team past 200 before all-rounder James Faulkner had a slogging Ehsan Adil caught for 15 on the penultimate ball of the allotted overs.