New Delhi: Australia edged past Pakistan by two wickets in the opening clash of the three-match ODI series, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Monday. The start of the Australian summer has been positive for the hosts as they have taken a 1-0 lead in the series. It is a blow to Mohammad Rizwan and the “new Pakistan team” who arrived down under with totally revamped selection policies and the skipper as well.
The pitch acted out evenly for both the teams but the Aussies looked to have chipped in on the vast experience of playing at home. Although Pakistan didn’t play their part wrong, their pacers, who couldn’t remove the tailenders within time and saw the game slipping out of their hands, will be questioned. Chasing a below-par target of 204, it was a dull show from the openers Matthew Short (1 off 4) and Jake Fraser-McGurk (16 off 14) who were expected to fire.
There was a bit of a halt in the game moments before it concluded as Naseem Shah walked off the field mid-over with some issue on his left leg. Although the game was pushed down the wire, the Aussies kept their nerves and pulled off the game with some amazing defence by the lower-middle order. Skipper Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc showed their years-long experience with the bat as they tackled all the throws sent down to them by the Pakistan pacers and took the team over the line “comfortably.”
PAK lifted by Naseem’s last push
The Men in Green were invited to bat first at what could be termed the “home of cricket” in Australia. The team was being led by their new skipper Mohammad Rizwan who did showcase some batting skills against the Aussie pace battery. It was a failed outing from the openers Abdullah Shafique (12 off 26), and Saim Ayub (1 off 5) who made his debut in the game.
The innings was revived by seniors Babar Azam (37 off 44; 4 fours) and Rizwan (44 off 71; 2 fours and a six) who stitched a stand of 39 runs for the third wicket and at least looked to be taking the game somewhere. The duo of Kamran Ghulam (5 off 6) and Agha Salman (12 off 29) couldn’t stay for longer on the crease. Another debutant Irfan Khan made a decent impact with his 35-ball 22 laced with two fours.
Irfan, with Shaheen Afridi (24 off 19; 3 fours and a six) added 31 runs for the seventh wicket, and with Naseem Shah (40 off 39; one four and four sixes) added 28 for the eighth. Naseem turned out to be Pakistan’s hero without a cape as he provided the team with the much-desired push to take them above 200. Haris Rauf was out for a duck and Mohammad Hasnain remained unbeaten on 2 as Pakistan were bowled out for 203 in 46.4 overs.
Mitchell Starc was the pick of the bowlers as he returned figures of 3/33 while Cummins and Adam Zampa picked two wickets each. Sean Abbott and Marnus Labuschagne also chipped in with a wicket each. As many as eight bowlers rolled their arm over against Rizwan and co.
