In his ODI comeback post-World Cup, Pat Cummins led Australia to a tense two-wicket victory over Pakistan. Despite Australia’s shaky chase of 203, Haris Rauf’s late strikes brought Pakistan back into contention. Cummins, unfazed, held firm to start Australia’s home summer on a winning note.
Australia started their chase briskly, knocking off 18 quick runs, but lost two early wickets as Matthew Short fell to Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah removed Jake Fraser-McGurk. Steve Smith and Josh Inglis steadied the innings, each hitting a boundary in the next two overs to settle the nerves.
Steve Smith and Josh Inglis dominated Mohammad Hasnain and Naseem Shah, pushing Australia’s run rate past six an over and reaching 105 by the 15th over, seemingly en route to a comfortable win. However, post-drinks, Haris Rauf struck back, dismissing Smith, while Shaheen Afridi took down the aggressive Inglis.
Haris Rauf’s two-wicket burst, removing Marnus Labuschagne and Glenn Maxwell, shifted momentum as Australia lost three wickets in five balls. Left to Aaron Hardie, Sean Abbott, and Pat Cummins, the chase was tense. Cummins, unfazed, found boundaries off Rauf and led Australia home, sealing the victory with grit.
Mitchell Starc gave Australia a strong start, dismissing debutant Saim Ayub and Abdullah Shafique quickly. While new skipper Mohammad Rizwan struggled, Babar Azam looked in sublime form, seemingly unaffected by his recent Test struggles. Babar stroked elegant boundaries, appearing at ease even under pressure from Australia's pace attack.
As Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan looked to stabilize Pakistan’s innings, Adam Zampa bowled Babar, and Pat Cummins dismissed Kamran Ghulam, leaving Pakistan at 70 for 4. Rizwan fought back, but Australia struck regularly. Irfan Khan, Shaheen, and Naseem Shah's late cameo with four sixes boosted Pakistan’s total dramatically.
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