Delhi: Pakistan registered a spectacular victory by defeating Australia by five wickets in the first match of the three-match ODI series played in Rawalpindi on Saturday. Its biggest hero was young spinner Arafat Minhas, who performed brilliantly with both ball and bat and led the team to victory.
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Australian batsman trapped in Arafat’s spin
In his very first ODI match, 21-year-old Minhas badly shook the Australian batting order. This left-arm spinner took five wickets for 32 runs and prevented the visiting team from reaching a big score. Australian batsmen were seen struggling against his precise line and variety of balls.
Australia’s innings faltered
The Australian team led by captain Josh Inglis did not have a good start. Young batsman Oliver Peak, who made his debut in ODI cricket through this match, returned to the pavilion after scoring only seven runs. Due to continuous falling of wickets, the Australian team could not score big and could barely touch the 200-run mark in the stipulated overs.
Arafat changed the course of the match
Arafat Minhas destroyed the middle order in a single spell and turned the match towards Pakistan. He first dismissed Josh Inglis and then Marnus Labuschagne. After this, Australia was given a big blow by bowling Cameron Green with a brilliant ball. Due to his lethal bowling, Australia was in trouble by losing four wickets by the 16th over.
Renshaw took over the innings
After the initial setbacks, Matt Renshaw tried to control the team by batting with struggle. He played a useful inning of 61 runs, while Matt Short also contributed 55 runs. Thanks to both the batsmen, Australia was successful in reaching a respectable score.
Babar and Ghazi strengthened the foundation of victory
Babar Azam and Mohammad Ghazi Ghori put the Pakistan team in a strong position while chasing the target. Both the batsmen made a century partnership and made the Australian bowlers yearn for wickets. Babar Azam scored 69 runs, while Ghazi Ghori played an important inning of 65 runs.
Arafat ended the match with a six
When Pakistan was close to victory, Arafat Minhas once again made his presence felt. He played a brilliant innings of 18 runs and ended the match by hitting the winning six. Pakistan achieved the target with 45 balls remaining.
Shaheen’s captaincy was also effective
Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi won the toss and decided to bowl first, which proved to be completely correct. Apart from Arafat Minhas, Abrar Ahmed and Salman Ali Aga also kept Australia under pressure by taking wickets at important moments.
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Next match of the series in Lahore
After winning the first match, Pakistan has taken the lead in the series. Now the remaining two matches between the two teams will be played in Lahore, where Australia will try to make a comeback, while Pakistan will aim to win the series.
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