Cummins’ all-round efficiency led Australia to a two-wicket victory in Melbourne for a 1-0 lead within the three-match ODI collection.
Australia captain Pat Cummins guided his group dwelling to a tense two-wicket victory over Pakistan after a quick wobble of their chase within the first one-day worldwide (ODI) in Melbourne.
Cummins scored an important 32 runs and took two wickets as Australia chased down 204 regardless of a late comeback from Pakistan, and took a 1-0 lead within the three-match collection on Monday.
Pakistan had been dismissed for 203 in 46.4 overs after being requested to bat first as their batsmen couldn’t deal with the Australian tempo assault on a quick, bouncy pitch on the Melbourne Cricket Floor.
Australia, who received the ODI World Cup in India in 2023, had been advancing in direction of the goal with Steve Smith and Josh Inglis on the crease at 113-2 after 16.2 overs.
Nonetheless, the guests posed a quick menace to the world champions as their quick bowlers mixed to take 5 wickets for 45 runs to open the match.
Cummins, nonetheless, was calm as wickets fell round him and he hit 4 boundaries as he accomplished the chase with fellow quick bowler Mitchell Starc.
The captain, enjoying his first ODI for the reason that World Cup closing, polished his report of guiding Australia to victory from harmful positions, having scored the successful runs through the Ashes Check at Edgbaston final yr and twice saved out agency with the bat within the World Cup. .
“Tonight we did it. “I all the time choose to take a seat within the locker room, nevertheless it’s a beautiful sport,” Cummins mentioned afterward.
“In the long run, every little thing bought a little bit tighter than we might have appreciated.”
The bottom was solely 1 / 4 full with a crowd of 25,800, however Rauf despatched Pakistan followers into the stands with a scorching spell that included dismissing Marnus Labuschagne (16) and Glenn Maxwell (0) in successive deliveries.
Tempo spearhead Starc was named man of the match with three wickets, together with Pakistan’s first two.
In Pakistan’s first ODI since lacking the World Cup semi-finals, the group’s finest batsman Babar Azam returned to the line-up after being surprisingly dropped within the second and third Checks in opposition to England.
The previous captain hit 37 off 44 balls earlier than being bowled by Adam Zampa with a reckless push off a straight supply.
Saim Ayub made his ODI debut as Mohammad Rizwan captained Pakistan, reprising his preliminary Check partnership with Abdullah Shafique, regardless of the pair’s horrible joint batting report.
Starc fired each on a budget; Ayub for one after clipping his stumps and Shafique trailed for 12.
Rizwan was Pakistan’s prime scorer with 44 and ODI debutant Irfan Khan made 22 batting at seven earlier than working out.
But it surely took a closing effort from Naseem Shah (40) and Afridi (24) to take Pakistan previous 200.