Australia 204 for 8 (Inglis 49, Smith 44, Cummins 32*, Rauf 3-67) beat Pakistan 203 (Rizwan 44, Naseem 40, Starc 3-33, Cummins 2-39) by two wickets
Australia triumphed over Pakistan in a nail-biting one-day international at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), showcasing the unpredictable nature of Pakistan's cricket. The match saw a rollercoaster of emotions, with Australia winning despite a shaky performance, thanks in large part to Mitchell Starc's exceptional bowling and captain Pat Cummins' composed batting.
With a crowd of 25,831 present, the atmosphere was electric, reminiscent of a home match for Pakistan as their supporters outcheered the locals. However, Pakistan struggled to capitalize on their momentum, ultimately falling short of what could have been a historic win.
Chasing a modest target of 204, Australia found themselves in trouble after a promising start, slipping from 139 for 3 to 155 for 7 following a stunning spell from Haris Rauf, who took three wickets in quick succession. Despite the pressure, Cummins steadied the ship with a crucial unbeaten 32, steering his team to victory.
Earlier, Pakistan's batting lineup faltered under the pressure of Australia's pace attack, with only Babar Azam (37) and Mohammad Rizwan (44) offering any resistance. Starc's fiery spell saw him claim 3 for 33, effectively dismantling Pakistan's top order.
In the end, Pakistan's lower order provided some late fireworks, with Naseem Shah hitting 40 off 39 balls, but it was not enough to lift them past 203. Australia's win, though not without its challenges, highlighted the depth of their team and the leadership qualities of Cummins, who once again proved pivotal in a tight finish.
Mitch Starc is player of the match: "It's always nice to start the summer off in a positive stay. We are looking for powerplay wickets. Think it was a really positive effort with the ball...then we got the job done. Maybe a little sloppy from us in the field. Certainly thought it was below par. It's a very big summer, but five more white-ball games before that."
Mohammad Rizwan "I think we did very well. What we decided as a bowling group was not to have any fifth or sixth bowlers because the game was never going to go to 50 overs. We missed a few chances and the luck was with Australia, so congratulations to them. It's difficult to read anything into this game, the result is in God's hands, but I'm happy with the fight we put up. We have seen a lot of support for Pakistan everywhere in Australia, and we saw that here as well, so I'm very thankful to everyone for coming out."
Pat Cummins "Tonight we got it done, always much prefer sitting in the changing room...got a bit tighter than we'd have liked. Very happy with how the guys bowled. 200 was a great score. Trying to keep it interesting, Marnus is always in my ear so he had to have an over. Think for three quarters of it we were really good, looking to play aggressive and sometimes it won't pay off, but think still room to try and find a couple of partnerships."
Australia triumphed over Pakistan in a nail-biting one-day international at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), showcasing the unpredictable nature of Pakistan's cricket. The match saw a rollercoaster of emotions, with Australia winning despite a shaky performance, thanks in large part to Mitchell Starc's exceptional bowling and captain Pat Cummins' composed batting.
With a crowd of 25,831 present, the atmosphere was electric, reminiscent of a home match for Pakistan as their supporters outcheered the locals. However, Pakistan struggled to capitalize on their momentum, ultimately falling short of what could have been a historic win.
Chasing a modest target of 204, Australia found themselves in trouble after a promising start, slipping from 139 for 3 to 155 for 7 following a stunning spell from Haris Rauf, who took three wickets in quick succession. Despite the pressure, Cummins steadied the ship with a crucial unbeaten 32, steering his team to victory.
Earlier, Pakistan's batting lineup faltered under the pressure of Australia's pace attack, with only Babar Azam (37) and Mohammad Rizwan (44) offering any resistance. Starc's fiery spell saw him claim 3 for 33, effectively dismantling Pakistan's top order.
In the end, Pakistan's lower order provided some late fireworks, with Naseem Shah hitting 40 off 39 balls, but it was not enough to lift them past 203. Australia's win, though not without its challenges, highlighted the depth of their team and the leadership qualities of Cummins, who once again proved pivotal in a tight finish.
Mitch Starc is player of the match: "It's always nice to start the summer off in a positive stay. We are looking for powerplay wickets. Think it was a really positive effort with the ball...then we got the job done. Maybe a little sloppy from us in the field. Certainly thought it was below par. It's a very big summer, but five more white-ball games before that."
Mohammad Rizwan "I think we did very well. What we decided as a bowling group was not to have any fifth or sixth bowlers because the game was never going to go to 50 overs. We missed a few chances and the luck was with Australia, so congratulations to them. It's difficult to read anything into this game, the result is in God's hands, but I'm happy with the fight we put up. We have seen a lot of support for Pakistan everywhere in Australia, and we saw that here as well, so I'm very thankful to everyone for coming out."
Pat Cummins "Tonight we got it done, always much prefer sitting in the changing room...got a bit tighter than we'd have liked. Very happy with how the guys bowled. 200 was a great score. Trying to keep it interesting, Marnus is always in my ear so he had to have an over. Think for three quarters of it we were really good, looking to play aggressive and sometimes it won't pay off, but think still room to try and find a couple of partnerships."
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