Brisbane (Web Desk): Australia defeated Pakistan by 29 runs in the opening T20I of their three-match series at the Gabba in Brisbane on Thursday.
Batting first, Australia posted a challenging total of 93/4, thanks to explosive contributions from Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis.
Maxwell played a stunning knock of 43 off just 19 balls, smashing eight boundaries, including three sixes. Stoinis, meanwhile, added a rapid 21 from 7 balls, including two fours and a six, in the final over to help lift Australia to a defendable total.
The Australian innings got off to a fiery start with Maxwell, who joined Matthew Short at the crease, quickly finding his rhythm. He struck Naseem Shah for four boundaries in the first two overs, pushing Australia to 33/1.
However, Pakistan responded with tight bowling from Haris Rauf, who removed Short for 7 and bowled an excellent over to slow down the Australian scoring. But Maxwell wasn’t to be denied; he took on Rauf in the next over, blasting two sixes and a four before falling to Abbas Afridi for 43. In the same over, Afridi also dismissed Tim David (9), and Australia’s momentum was briefly halted.
In reply, Pakistan’s chase faltered right from the start. After a quick 12-run opening over, they lost wickets in a dramatic collapse, tumbling to 20/5 by the end of the third over. Key players, including Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, failed to make an impact, leaving Pakistan in a perilous position.
Though Afridi’s aggressive 20-run cameo gave some brief resistance, it was never going to be enough. Pakistan ultimately ended their innings on 64/9, well short of the target.
The result hands Australia a 1-0 lead in the series, with two more T20Is still to play.
Earlier, Pakistan won the toss and decided to field first.
Due to a rain delay, the match was shortened to just seven overs per side, with each team allotted a two-over powerplay.
In terms of bowling, two bowlers were permitted to bowl two overs each, while three bowlers could bowl one over each.
This T20I came on the heels of Pakistan’s historic win in the third ODI, where they defeated Australia 2-1 in the three-match series.
This victory marked Pakistan’s first ODI series win on Australian soil in 22 years, with their previous win in a 50-over series dating back to 2002.
Teams
Pakistan: Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (c/wk), Sahibzada Farhan, Usman Khan, Salman Agha, Irfan Khan, Abbas Afridi, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haseebullah Khan, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah
Australia: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Matt Short, Josh Inglis (c/wk), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Aaron Hardie, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Spencer Johnson
