After losing the ODI series 2-1, Australia came back strongly to win the first T20I game of the 3-match series against Pakistan.
The 20-over match was reduced to 7 overs as the start got delayed due to rain and bad weather. Pakistan won the toss and opted to field. Jake Fraser-McGurk (9 runs) played a couple of good shots before getting out in the second over.
Matthew Short (7 runs) hit a six off Shaheen Afridi in the first over but got out to Haris Rauf in the third over. Glenn Maxwell (43 runs) was the best batter of the game. He attacked from the first ball and played shots all around the ground.
Marcus Stoinis (21* off 7) helped Australia post a total of 93 runs in 7 overs. Abbas Afridi picked up 2 wickets for the visitors. Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah picked up one wicket each.
Bowlers help Australia take a 1-0 lead in the series
Chasing 94, Sahibzada Farhan scored two fours on the first two balls of Pakistan’s innings off Spencer Johnson. He was eventually dismissed on the fourth delivery of the same over.
Skipper Muhammad Rizwan got out for a duck. Xavier Bartlett picked up his wicket. Pakistan kept losing wickets frequently and were 16 for 5 at one point. None of their batters got going. Abbas Afridi (20* runs) was the highest run-scorer for Pakistan.
Xavier Bartlett and Nathan Ellis picked up 3 wickets each. Adam Zampa picked up 2 wickets on the last two balls of Pakistan’s innings. He’ll be on a hat-trick in the next match. Spencer Johnson also picked up a wicket.
The Pakistani batters struggled in the bouncy conditions at the Gabba. The Aussie bowlers exploited that and bowled mainly hard lengths. The 2nd match of the series will be played on 16th November at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
