David Warner has revealed teammate Steve Smith predicted the freakish dismissal of Pakistan batsman Fawad Alam in the third ODI in Abu Dhabi.

Alam's wicket in Australia's thrilling one-run win had fans checking the rulebook after a clever piece of fielding from Smith.

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Fielding at first slip, Smith bolted to the leg-side when he saw Alam shape to lap sweep as the ball from spinner Xavier Doherty travelled down the pitch.

Alam, unaware that Smith had moved positions, swept the ball straight into the hands of the fieldsman and the Australians celebrated.

The move is legal after an adjustment of the ICC's playing conditions, with skipper George Bailey saying after the match that the Aussie players were aware of the recent change.

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And Warner has revealed that Smith, who scored 190 runs in the three-match ODI series, actually predicted the dismissal.

"I was fielding at backward point, and generally, wherever you’re fielding, and you see the batsman go to do something, you premeditate and you assume the ball is going to go in that position," Warner told Big Sports Breakfast.

"I think (New Zealand captain) Brendon McCullum did it last year or the year before – it might have been in the IPL – and they changed the rule to when the bowler lets go of the ball, and you see the batsman do that (begin to play his shot), you can move.

"So when you look at the replay, (Smith) didn’t move until the bowler let go of the ball, and that's just great cricket awareness.

"(Smith) actually said to Brad Haddin: 'He's going to try and lap (sweep) here, one of these balls, and I'm going to try and stop it'.

"And that ball, it actually happened, so it was a bit of a freak thing.

"Lucky it didn't go to first slip!"

The adjustment of the law can be found in the ICC Match Officials' ODI Almanac 2014-15, which was used for the first time in this series.

The new law states: "As long as the movement of a close catching fielder is in response to the striker's actions (the shot he is about to play or shaping to play), then movement is permitted before the ball reaches the striker."

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Alam, who was apparently unaware of the rule change, initially stood his ground before finally leaving the playing arena with an angry swipe of his bat at the boundary rope.

Bailey confirmed his players knew the rule had been altered.

"I could tell there was confusion because the umpires came together," said Bailey.

"We knew the rule had changed … and to be honest, as it should.

"As a batsman you're allowed to switch-hit, you're allowed to do whatever you like.

"All he's done is anticipate where the ball's going to go.

"As a cricket lover, you're just moving well in the field aren't you?

"It would be really sad if that went out of the game because I think that's a spectacle. That's a great thing to be able to see."