Pakistan’s debutant Arafat Minhas bagged a stunning five-wicket haul and then smashed the winning runs to secure a comprehensive victory over Australia in the first of three one-day internationals.
Josh Inglis, handed the white-ball captaincy after Mitch Marsh was ruled out with an ankle injury, saw his side struggle to handle Minhas’ tricky left-arm variation. The 21-year-old spinner plundered five wickets for 32 runs to put the visitors on the back foot in Rawalpindi.
Australia’s own young debutant, Oliver Peake, became the tourists’ youngest-ever specialist ODI batter at 19, but could only make seven as his side struggled to post 200 in the opening match of the three-game series.
Pakistan always looked comfortable overhauling their target thanks mainly to a solid century partnership between Babar Azam (69) and Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (65). Minhas capped a brilliant performance by hitting 18 runs, including a towering six to seal the five-wicket victory with 45 balls remaining.
The home captain, Shaheen Shah Afridi, read the sweltering conditions perfectly and after he won the toss, Minhas cleaned out the Australia top order with support from Abrar Ahmed (2-44) and Salman Ali Agha (1-21).
Minhas took three wickets in six balls, trapping Inglis for 13 and Labuschagne for 0. The spinner then hit the top of Cameron Green’s off-stump with a magical delivery that spun away from the right-hander for another duck.
Australia slipped to 68-4 in the 16th over, but Matt Renshaw’s knock of 61, and an opening 55 from Matt Short helped the visitors set a respectable target. They would have their work cut out without first-choice bowlers Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc absent, and Adam Zampa ruled out late due to neck spasms.
Babar, recalled after missing the Bangladesh series in March, was dropped by Matthew Kuhnemann just after he completed his 38th ODI half-century. Nathan Ellis clean-bowled Babar and trapped Ghori lbw but by then, Pakistan were already on the verge of victory.
Spinners Kuhnemann (1-29) and Tanveer Sangha (1-31) bowled steadily for 20 overs between them but not seriously stall the Pakistan chase. The series continues with two matches in Lahore on Tuesday and Thursday.
