Australia Clinches Two-Wicket Victory Over Pakistan in Tense Finish
Cummins Leads Australia to a 1-0 Lead in Three-Match Series
Australia clinched a thrilling victory over Pakistan by two wickets in the first ODI at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Monday, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Chasing a modest target of 204 set by Pakistan, the Aussies faced a tough fight from Pakistan’s bowling attack to reach the finish line.
Australia’s chase began shakily, as openers Jake Fraser-McGurk and Matthew Short fell within the first four overs, with just 28 runs on the scoreboard.
A solid 85-run stand between Steve Smith and Josh Inglis, however, helped Australia regain control. Despite impressive spells from Haris Rauf, who took three wickets, and Shaheen Afridi with two, Australian captain Pat Cummins (32*) held his ground, guiding his team to victory in the 34th over.
Earlier, Pakistan, batting first, struggled against Australia’s fierce bowling attack and managed to post only 203 runs before being bowled out in the 47th over.
Abdullah Shafique was dismissed early by Mitchell Starc, leaving Pakistan at 24-2 within 6.4 overs. Captain Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam then stabilized the innings with a 39-run partnership for the third wicket.
However, a key bowling change by Cummins brought Adam Zampa into the attack, who dismissed Babar Azam in the 18th over. Babar scored a cautious 37 off 44 balls with four boundaries.
Babar’s dismissal triggered a middle-order collapse, as Pakistan lost three quick wickets, including Rizwan, slipping to 117-6 by the 31.4-over mark. Rizwan top-scored with 44 off 71 balls, including two boundaries and a six.
Debutant Muhammad Irfan Khan showed resilience with Shaheen Afridi, contributing 31 valuable runs before Shaheen fell to Starc in the 37th over. Irfan later added another 27 runs for the eighth wicket with Naseem Shah.
Irfan’s promising innings ended on a run-out, scoring 22 from 35 deliveries. Naseem Shah then added crucial runs with a late blitz, smashing one four and four sixes in his 39-ball 40.
Australia’s bowling was led by Starc, who took three wickets, while Adam Zampa and Cummins each claimed two. Sean Abbott and Marnus Labuschagne chipped in with one wicket each.
Playing XIs
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.
