Melbourne (Web Desk): Australia defeated Pakistan by two wickets in first one-day international (ODI) of the three-match series at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Monday.
Australia’s Josh Inglis contributed a solid 49 runs for Australia, while Pakistan’s Haris Rauf took three crucial wickets, helping the visitors mount a resilient fightback.
Newly appointed skipper Mohammad Rizwan led by example, top-scoring with 44 runs, but Pakistan struggled against a disciplined Australian bowling attack, ultimately getting bowled out for 203 in the 47th over.
Mitchell Starc was in fine form, striking early in the third over when Saim Ayub misjudged a rising delivery and sent the ball crashing onto his stumps.
This brought Babar Azam to the crease, unburdened by the pressures of captaincy after stepping down the previous month.
Babar aimed to lift the run rate but was dismissed by Starc, who also caught Abdullah Shafique behind for a disappointing 12 runs during a brilliant opening spell.
Babar found his rhythm and established a brief partnership of 39 runs with Rizwan before spinner Adam Zampa made his mark, bowling Babar for 37 with his fourth delivery.
Kamran Ghulam, who followed Babar, could not withstand the pace of Pat Cummins, departing for a mere six runs as he gloved a short ball to wicketkeeper Josh Inglis, leaving Pakistan in a difficult position at 70-4 after just 19 overs.
Rizwan played cautiously at first, then began to accelerate, hitting the first six of the match off Starc. However, the wickets continued to fall around him.
Salman Agha was caught for 12 by Matt Short off a delivery from Sean Abbott, and Rizwan himself fell while attempting a sweep shot against part-time spinner Marnus Labuschagne, with Inglis taking another catch.
Shaheen Shah Afridi provided some late entertainment with a quickfire 24 runs, but Starc struck again, clean bowling him and reducing Pakistan to a precarious situation.
Nevertheless, Naseem Shah, batting at number nine, added valuable runs, finishing with 40 runs that included four sixes—20 of those coming off a single over from Zampa, which helped Pakistan surpass the 200-run mark.
Earlier, Australia's captain Pat Cummins won the toss and elected to bowl first in the opener of this three-match ODI series.
With Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head on paternity leave, Australia showcased a new opening partnership of Jake Fraser-McGurk and Matt Short. Veteran pacer Josh Hazlewood was rested, allowing Sean Abbott to join Cummins and Starc in a strong bowling lineup on an overcast day.
This match marked Pakistan's first 50-over game since last year's World Cup, with Rizwan taking over leadership duties after Babar’s recent resignation.
Irfan Khan made his debut in the ODI format, bolstering the middle order, while Afridi spearheaded a four-pronged fast-bowling attack for Pakistan.
Teams
Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (c), Salman Ali Agha (vc), Abdullah Shafique, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain.
Australia: Matt Short, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Steve Smith, Josh Inglis (wk), Marnus Labuschagne, Aaron Hardie, Glenn Maxwell, Sean Abbott, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa.
