Australia emerged victorious in the first one-day international of their three-match series against Pakistan, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Monday.
Inglis and Rauf Shine as Teams Battle for Momentum
Australian batter Josh Inglis scored a solid 49, while Pakistan’s Haris Rauf claimed three wickets in a determined bowling effort. Newly appointed Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan led with the bat, scoring a team-high 44, but his side was bowled out in the 47th over.
The game began with early breakthroughs from Mitchell Starc, who dismissed Saim Ayub in the third over. This brought Babar Azam to the crease, free from captaincy responsibilities after stepping down last month. Starc struck again, dismissing Abdullah Shafique for 12, showcasing an impressive opening spell.
Middle-Order Collapse Sets Pakistan Back
Babar Azam, looking composed, put on a partnership of 39 with Rizwan before spinner Adam Zampa entered the game and bowled Azam for 37 with just his fourth delivery. Kamran Ghulam followed shortly after, dismissed by a fierce bouncer from Pat Cummins, leaving Pakistan struggling at 70-4 after 19 overs.
Rizwan fought back with a six off Starc, but wickets continued to fall. Agha Salman was caught at square leg for 12 off Sean Abbott, and Rizwan himself was dismissed attempting a sweep shot against Marnus Labuschagne’s part-time spin, caught behind by Inglis.
Tail-End Effort Pushes Pakistan Past 200
Despite the middle-order struggles, Shaheen Shah Afridi contributed a spirited 24 before Starc knocked over his stumps. Naseem Shah’s explosive cameo of 40, featuring four sixes, took 20 runs off one Zampa over, helping Pakistan reach a respectable total over 200.
Australia’s Fresh Look with New Openers and Strong Bowling Lineup
Australian captain Pat Cummins opted to bowl first after winning the toss. With regular openers Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head on paternity leave, Jake Fraser-McGurk and Matt Short opened for Australia. Veteran bowler Josh Hazlewood was rested, with Sean Abbott joining Cummins and Starc in an overcast Melbourne.
For Pakistan, this was their first 50-over game since the previous year’s World Cup, led by Mohammad Rizwan as captain. The team saw the ODI debut of Irfan Khan in the middle order, while Shaheen Shah Afridi led a four-man fast-bowling lineup.
Pakistan’s Coaching Changes for the Series
Former Australian international Jason Gillespie, now Pakistan’s Test coach, is overseeing the team for this series and the following T20 matches. The changes come after Pakistan’s white-ball coach, Gary Kirsten, resigned last week, just six months into his role.
Playing XIs
- Australia: Matt Short, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Steve Smith, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Aaron Hardie, Sean Abbott, Pat Cummins (captain), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa
- Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Kamran Ghulam, Agha Salman, Irfan Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain.
