Pacer Spencer Johnson stars as Pakistan lose Australia T20 series in Sydney

Hosts successfully defend 148 after left-arm quick picks up five wickets on Saturday

Aussie pacer Spencer Johnson, second right, celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Pakistan's Shaheen Afridi during the second T20 in Sydney. Getty Images

Left-arm fast bowler Spencer Johnson grabbed a career-best 5-26 as Australia clinched a 13-run win over Pakistan and sealed the three-match T20 series with a game to spare in Sydney on Saturday.

Johnson sliced through the top order as Pakistan crumbled to 134 all out in the final over, chasing 148, allowing Australia to take a decisive 2-0 lead in Josh Inglis's first series as captain.

Usman Khan made a fighting 52 and Irfan Khan scored unbeaten 37 but the visitors struggled with Johnson's pace on a tacky wicket with captain Mohammad Rizwan (16) the only other batsman to cross the double-figure mark.

Pakistan were struggling at 44-4 at one stage after losing Rizwan for 16 and Salman Agha for a first-ball duck as Johnson ripped through the top order with three wickets.

Usman hit his first half-century after being dropped by Matthew Short but fell for a defiant 52 as Johnson struck again in his final spell.

The left-arm quick then removed Abbas Afridi for four to finish with 5-26 before Irfan launched another counter-attack with an unbeaten 37 but he could not take the tourists over the line despite only 16 required from the final over.

Pakistan were eventually dismissed for 134 when Haris Rauf was run out as Australia's second-string pace attack showed they could get the job done again with their frontline seam lineup rested ahead of the India Test series.

"It's an opportunity I don't take lightly," said player-of-the-match Johnson. "I'm privileged to be wearing the green and gold.

"You never know when your last game is going to be for Australia, so every game is a bonus. Hopefully I can play a couple more," he added.

Earlier, Pakistan recovered from an early onslaught by Australia's opening batsmen to restrict the hosts to 147-9 despite several dropped catches as Rauf finished with 4-22 and Abbas bagged 3-17.

Jake Fraser-McGurk and Short hit five boundaries and three sixes between them in the first 15 balls of the contest at the Sydney Cricket Ground as Australia reached 50 runs in only 3.1 overs.

Pakistan hit back through Rauf, who had Fraser-McGurk caught for 20 while he attempted a cross-batted hit and then got rid of skipper Inglis for a duck two deliveries later thanks to a diving catch by Sufiyan Muqeem.

Short missed a slower one from Abbas to fall for 32 and Marcus Stoinis was dismissed by Muqeem for 14 after he had twice survived due to some sloppy catching by Salman Agha and Shaheen Afridi.

Glenn Maxwell shook off a top-edge that rattled his helmet grill and looked to accelerate but he holed out against Muqeem for 21 to leave Australia in trouble at 95-5.

Another dropped catch, this time by Babar Azam, handed the dangerous Tim David a lifeline and he carted Rauf for two fours in the 15th over before becoming the seamer's third victim.

Rauf then castled Xavier Bartlett for his 107th T20I wicket to join Shadab Khan atop Pakistan's all-time list.

Australia, beaten by Pakistan 2-1 in the preceding ODI series, will eye a sweep in Hobart on Monday.