AUSvsPAK, 3rd ODI: Australia overpower Pakistan to clinch ODI series

Australia cruised to an 80-run victory over Pakistan in the third one-dayer in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday and took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.

Captain Aaron Finch fell 10 runs short of becoming the first Australian to score three consecutive ODI centuries but negotiated difficult conditions to help his team finish with a decent total of 266-6.

The right-handed opener made 90 off 136 deliveries before Glenn Maxwell stepped up the scoring rate with a 55-ball 71 on a pitch that offered more assistance to the bowlers than the last two matches in Sharjah.

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It was Maxwell's highest ODI score in over two years, giving him an edge in intense competition for the middle-order batting spots for the World Cup starting on May 30 in England and Wales.

"It wasn't the easiest wicket to start on," Maxwell said. "Once I got through that, it got easier.

"We've been really focussed about what we want to do here. We want to build on this momentum ... It's been a continual build for our team since last year, and we're starting to get it right."

Finch, whose role as a captain was questioned a month ago because of his form slump, has responded with 479 runs in his last six one-day innings.

The 32-year-old was perfectly placed for a 14th hundred in the 50-overs format but holed out to leg-spinner Yasir Shah in the 42nd over.

Maxwell and wicketkeeper-batsman Alex Carey (25 not out) added a quickfire 61 for the sixth wicket as Australia hit 90 in the last 10 overs.

Chasing a target of 267, Pakistan were rattled by a testing new-ball spell from Australian fast bowler Pat Cummins, who removed opener Shan Masood, Haris Sohail and Mohammad Rizwan with just 16 runs on the board.

Imam-ul-Haq and captain Shoaib Malik shared a 59-run partnership for the fourth wicket before the Australian spinners stepped up.

Part-time off-spinner Maxwell trapped Imam lbw for 46 and Nathan Lyon removed Malik for 32, leaving Pakistan on the brink of a fourth straight defeat in the format.

Leg-spinner Adam Zampa hurried through the tail with a career-best ODI spell of 4-43 to bowl out Pakistan for 186 in the 45th over.

The win was Australia's sixth in a row after their 3-2 comeback victory in the series in India this month. The fourth one-dayer will be played on Friday in Dubai.