All-rounder Arafat Minhas marked his ODI debut with a five-wicket haul, while Babar Azam and Ghazi Ghori struck half-centuries as Pakistan cruised to a five-wicket victory over Australia in the first ODI of the three-match series at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
Set to chase a modest 201-run target, the hosts comfortably knocked the winning runs for the loss of five wickets and 45 balls to spare, courtesy of a century-plus third-wicket partnership between Babar and Ghori.
The Green Shirts got off to a contrasting start to the pursuit as they lost left-handed opener Maaz Sadaqat (eight) in the sixth over with just 25 runs on the board.
His dismissal paved the way for Babar to come out and share a cautious 24-run partnership for the second wicket with right-handed opener Sahibzada Farhan, who was dismissed by Tanveer Sangha in the 13th over after scoring 28 off 33 deliveries with the help of three fours.
Babar was then joined by emerging wicketkeeper batter Ghazi in the middle, and the duo dominated Australia’s bowling attack to put Pakistan within touching distance by scoring anchoring half-centuries.
The pair raised 127 runs for the third wicket until Nathan Ellis bamboozled Babar with a slower delivery in the 39th over.
Babar walked back after top-scoring for Pakistan with 69 off 94 deliveries, laced with four fours and a six.
Ellis struck again in his next over, dismissing another set batter, Ghori, who departed after scoring 65 off 92 deliveries with the help of eight fours.
Pakistan suffered another setback on the first delivery of the 43rd over when Marnus Labuschagne trapped Salman Ali Agha (six) lbw, but Arafat Minhas fittingly hit the winning runs on the third delivery by smashing a six over the bowler’s head and returned unbeaten after scoring 18 off 17.
Ellis was the standout bowler for Australia, taking two wickets for 45 runs in his seven overs, while Matthew Kuhnemann, Sangha and Labuschagne made one scalp apiece.Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi’s decision to field first paid dividends as the touring side could accumulate 200 before being bowled out in 44.1 overs despite half-centuries from Matthew Short and Matt Renshaw.
The visitors got off to a steady start to their innings as Short and Alex Carey (19) put together 34 runs for the first wicket until Abrar Ahmed gave Pakistan the much-needed breakthrough by dismissing the latter in the seventh over.
Short was then joined by captain Josh Inglis in the middle, and the duo batted cautiously amid their 28-run partnership for the second wicket.
Debutant Minhas broke the budding partnership in the 14th over by dismissing Inglis, who could muster 13 off 22 deliveries.