PAK vs AUS: Pakistan are on their tour to Australia, as they have made several changes to their squad, the biggest among them being Mohammad Rizwan being appointed as the new skipper.
The first ODI match has been featured at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, as the Aussies put the visitors to bat first. Pat Cummins makes his return as the Australian skipper, while only the likes of Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh are unavailable due to paternal leaves.
Pakistan are in utter trouble, as they are struggling with 6 wickets down for just 117 runs on the board with less than 20 overs of the game remaining.
Kamran Ghulam, the debutant, came into bat after the wicket of Babar Azam for a well-made 37 runs. Ghulam, having played a dead defence shot against Cummins on the first ball, posed his bat towards the non-striker, thus posing like Steven Smith, the great Australian.
The very next ball was a ripper from Pat Cummins as he bowled a good-length bumper that took the outside edge of Ghulam as he was caught behind dismissed on the very next ball.
Multiple wickets and Pakistan are struggling against the white ball as well
Ace Australian pacer Mitchell Starc and returning skipper Pat Cummins made their return with the new ball for the Aussies. While Starc got rid of the debutant Saim Ayub, he was soon followed by the other opening batter, Abdullah Shafique, both dismissed by the left-arm pacer.
While Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan both stabilized the Pakistan innings for some moments, the pair fell, with Azam dismissed by the spinner Zampa. Cummins came back his Kamran Ghulam’s wicket, while Abbott removed the likes of newly announced vice captain Salman Ali Agha.
Labuschagne had the biggest breakthrough of the match, dismissing the Pakistan skipper, while Shaheen Shah Afridi added vital runs towards the backend alongside the debutant Irfan Khan for the 7th wicket partnership.
Soon after Starc’s spell came to an end, it marked a slight comeback from Pakistan through the hands of their no.9 batter Naseem Shah, who scored a decent 40 runs with a run-a-ball inning. While Irfan Khan and Haris Rauf were the last wickets to fall which ended the Aussie inning.
Restricted for a minor score of 203 all-out, Australia are now to chase it down at the MCG to take an early lead, though the regular openers are absent, JFM and Matt Short get a chance up the order. With Short’s dismissal, Smith now takes charge at MCG alongside the promising youngster Jake Fraser-McGurk.
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