PAK vs AUS: Pakistan edge Australia in T20I series opener; Saim Ayub, Salman Agha shine with bat
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "PAK vs AUS: Pakistan edge Australia in T20I series opener; Saim Ayub, Salman Agha shine with bat")
PAK vs AUS: Pakistan edge Australia in series opener; Saim Ayub, Salman Agha shine with bat Photograph: (X)
Playing at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan, batters Saim Ayub and Salman Agha were the stars of the day as Australia were left flat.
Pakistan made a winning start in the ongoing three-match T20I series against Australia as the hosts won by 22 runs. Playing at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan, batters Saim Ayub and Salman Agha were the stars of the day as Australia were left flat. The win in Lahore means Pakistan lead 1-0 in the series with matches scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.
Pakistan edge Australia
With hype surrounding Pakistan’s potential pullout from the T20 World Cup, the hosts made a poor start as they lost Sahibzada Farhan on the first ball of the series. The poor start, though, did not affect Pakistan’s confidence, as Ayub (40) and Agha (39) stitched a stand of 74 runs for the second wicket. However, their partnership did not last long, with Adam Zampa scalping back-to-back wickets of the duo. Pakistan’s middle order made a decent contribution with Babar Azam (24), Usman Khan (18) and Mohammad Nawaz (15) amongst runs.
Zampa was the pick of the bowlers for Australia as he bagged four wickets, while Mahli Beardman and Xavier Bartlett also ended with two wickets each.
What happened in Australia innings?
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Chasing 169, Australia started the proceedings with an aggressive intent but quickly unravelled against Pakistan's disciplined spin attack. While Travis Head provided a brisk start with 23 off 13 balls, he fell to the spin of Saim Ayub (2/29 in 3 overs), who proved to be a surprise weapon by picking up two early wickets. Cameron Green (36 runs off 31 balls) tried to anchor one end while wickets tumbled around him and the required run rate continued to climb.
The Australian middle order, missing several veteran stars like Tim David and Glenn Maxwell, struggled to cope with Pakistan's spin attack. Abrar Ahmed (2/10 in 4 overs) was the standout performer with the ball, claiming two wickets (Cooper Connolly and Josh Philippe), effectively breaking the back of the Australian chase.
Mohammad Nawaz provided the decisive blow by dismissing Green, leaving the visitors in deep trouble at 96/6 in 12.2 overs. While the Australian tail, led by Xavier Bartlett (unbeaten 34 off 25), tried defiantly, Australia ultimately finished their 20 overs at 146/8, handing Pakistan a comfortable 22-run victory to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
