Babar Azam shines as Pakistan defeat Australia in first ODI

Pakistan started the ODI series on a winning note by defeating Australia by five wickets in Rawalpindi. The victory gave the home side a 1-0 advantage in the three-match series.

Chasing a target of 201 runs, Pakistan reached the total in the 43rd over with five wickets in hand. The batting side remained in control for most of the chase despite losing a few wickets along the way.

Babar Azam played a key role in the victory with a brilliant innings of 69 runs. Ghazi Ghori also impressed with 65 runs and helped build the foundation for the successful chase.

Sahibzada Farhan scored 28 runs before returning to the pavilion. Muaz Sadaqat made 8 runs, while Salman Ali Agha was dismissed after scoring 6.

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For Pakistan, Arafat Minhas remained unbeaten on 18 runs. Abdul Samad also stayed not out after contributing 1 run to the winning total.

Australia’s bowlers struggled to stop Pakistan’s progress. Nathan Ellis claimed two wickets, while Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne and Tanveer Sangha took one wicket each.

Earlier, Australia batted first after Pakistan invited them to take the crease. The visitors were bowled out for 200 runs in 45 overs.

Matt Renshaw was Australia’s top scorer with 61 runs. Matthew Short added 55 runs, while Matthew Kuhnemann made 24 and Alex Carey scored 19.

Australian captain Josh Inglis managed 13 runs before getting out. Nathan Ellis scored 8 runs and Oliver Peake added 7, while Tanveer Sangha, Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green failed to score.

Pakistan’s bowling attack was led by ODI debutant Arafat Minhas, who produced a match-winning performance. He claimed five wickets and played a major role in restricting Australia to a modest total.

Abrar Ahmed picked up two wickets during the innings. Captain Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf and Salman Ali Agha took one wicket each to support the bowling effort.

Pakistan looked balanced in both batting and bowling during the match. The performance of debutant Arafat Minhas will give the team extra confidence for the remaining games.

Australia showed flashes of resistance but could not build enough partnerships. If Pakistan maintains this form, the team will have a strong chance of winning the series.