Pat Cummins steered Australia house with the bat throughout a tense end to earn his facet a two-wicket win over Pakistan within the opening one-day worldwide in Melbourne.
Having bowled Pakistan out for 203, Australia seemed at risk of falling quick of their run chase after a middle-order collapse noticed them stoop from 139-3 to 155-7 within the first of the three-match ODI sequence.
Enjoying his first ODI since final yr’s World Cup in India, Cummins then produced an unbeaten 32 from 31 balls to push the hosts to the modest victory goal with 16.3 overs to spare.
“It got a bit tighter than we would have liked in the end,” Cummins admitted. “Really happy with how the guys bowled, everyone really.”
How Australia edged the sequence opener
Mitchell Starc had earlier impressed with the ball, taking 3-33 – together with each of Pakistan’s openers – to restrict the guests’ bid for a sizeable whole after they’d been despatched into bat.
Babar Azam made 37 off 44 balls earlier than being bowled by leg-spinner Adam Zampa (2-64) with an ill-judged push at a straight supply, whereas Cummins (2-39) eliminated Kamran Ghulam for 5 the next over.
Mohammad Rizwan top-scored for Pakistan with 44 and ODI debutant Irfan Khan made 22 batting at seven earlier than being run out, with just some late aggressive hitting from Naseem Shah (40) and Afridi (24) pushing Pakistan previous 200.
Australia have been lacking 4 from the group that thrashed India within the World Cup last, with David Warner having retired, paceman Josh Hazlewood rested and each Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh on paternity go away.
Openers Matt Brief (one) and Jake Fraser-McGurk (16) each fell early in reply however Australia have been seemingly cruising after reaching 112-2 within the seventeenth over, just for the lack of Steve Smith for 44 to Haris Rauf (3-67) altering the competition.
Pakistan’s Haris Rauf, left, took two wickets in two balls throughout the twenty first over
Josh Inglis – having top-scored with 49 of 42 balls – was dismissed quickly after for the primary of three wickets in 5 balls, as Rauf eliminated Marnus Labuschagne and Glenn Maxwell with successive deliveries within the subsequent over.
Aaron Hardie was bowled by Mohammad Hasnain for 19 and Sean Abbott was run out for 13 to go away Australia eight down and nonetheless needing 19 extra runs, however Cummins and Mitchell Starc (two not out) noticed them to victory.
The sequence continues in Adelaide on Friday (3.30am begin UK time), with the third and last ODI then held in Perth on Sunday.
