It was good to reassure that the Australian team did not
include David Warner and Glenn Maxwell, nor was Steve Smith present and the
bowling line was without world-class Pat Cummins, Mitchell Stark, and Josh
Hazelwood.
This means that it was easy to control the Australian team playing the
first ODI against Pakistan but still, it did not happen and Aaron Finch's team
defeated Pakistan by 88 runs in the first ODI.
In reply to Australia's score of 313 for seven, Pakistan was bowled out
for 225.
Travis Head, don't be so cruel
Who could have said that this is the batsman who played his last ODI in
November 2018 after watching Travis Head become the epitome of Pakistani
bowling in the hot weather of Lahore?
Travis Head did not get a chance to open his hand in the Test series
against Pakistan but he made up for it in the first ODI.
Throughout the partnership, Aaron Finch remained silent against his temper
and continued to fire aggressive shots from Travis Head.
Meanwhile, Muhammad Wasim Jr., playing his first ODI, bowled Travis Head on
his fourth ball but DRS proved Aleem Dar's decision wrong after which Travis
Head was not ready to come under anyone's control.
Hassan Ali's bad days are not over yet. He was a bowler who was attacked by
Travis Head.
League sniper Zahid Mahmood, playing his first ODI, caught Aaron Finch for
23 in his third over at the hands of wicketkeeper Rizwan, then Australia's
score was 110 in the 15th over.
Travis Head completed his second ODI century off 70 balls with 12 fours and
three sixes.
It is also the fastest century of any Australian batsman against Pakistan
in ODIs. David Warner had earlier completed a century off 78 balls in Adelaide
in 2017.
It is also important to note that Travis Head's first century was against
Pakistan. In 2017, he played 128 runs in Adelaide with the help of three sixes
and nine fours.
Travis Head could not take his innings further after completing the century
and was caught by Khushdal Shah on the ball of Iftikhar Ahmed.
Ben McDermott, playing his third ODI, managed to complete the first
half-century but was run out on an individual score of 55.
This is the same Ben McDermott whose father Craig McDermott took five
wickets for Pakistan in the 1987 World Cup semi-finals at the same Gaddafi
Stadium and took Australia to the final.
Travis Head also took the offensive batting style with him. After his
dismissal, 72 balls went without boundary. Captain Babar Azam's strategy of
tightening the noose through his spinners was successful.
Khushdal Shah got the wicket of Marinus Lubushin thanks to an excellent
catch by Saud Shakeel and Zahid Mahmood managed to bowl wicketkeeper Alex
Carey in his last over.
Despite all efforts, Marcus Stevens could not open his hands. Harris Rauf
ended his 26-run innings off 42 balls.
These are the same Stevens who hit 11 sixes in Eden Park against New
Zealand, but the situation at Gaddafi Stadium was different for them.
Harris Rauf took his second wicket by bowling Sean Abbott.
Pakistan's three spinners Zahid Mahmood, Iftikhar Ahmed, and Khushdal Shah
gave a total of 145 runs in 26 overs and managed to take four wickets.
He was also responsible for giving only 5.5 runs per over. Australia scored
81 runs in the last ten overs, largely due to Cameron Green's unbeaten 40 runs.
Imam-ul-Haq's century is not enough
Pakistan soon lost the first wicket in pursuit of a big target. Fakhr
Zaman, who hit two fours off Sean Abbott's balls in the first over of the
innings, was caught by Travis Head for 18 runs.
Once again, the focus of Pakistan's batting hopes was on Babar Azam, for
whom all was well until he completed his 18th half-century, but the following
moments were difficult for him.
LBW's appeal against Mitchell Swapson's ball was rejected by umpire Asif
Yaqub.
The Australian review was lost but then Babar took the review after being
given LBW on the ball of Swapson but this time the decision of Asif Yaqub was
in favor of Australia. Thus Swapson got the first wicket in ODI.
Babar Azam also completed 4,000 runs in ODIs in his 57-run innings. He is
the second-fastest batsman to complete 4,000 runs after Hashim Amla.
The partnership of Babar Azam and Imam-ul-Haq was broken at 96 runs which
made way for wickets to fall. Saud Shakeel surprised everyone by giving an easy
catch to Labushin on the ball of Travis Head.
It was not easy for Mohammad Rizwan to ease the growing pressure and in the
same struggle, he was caught by wicketkeeper Alex Carey in an attempt to sweep
Adam Zampa.
Iftikhar Ahmed added another disappointing inning to his account.
The last hope of the Pakistani team was associated with opener Imam-ul-Haq
who completed his eighth century in ODIs with the help of six fours and three
sixes off 92 balls but this hope was dashed in the form of Nathan Ellis' first
ODI wicket.
At that time Pakistan team needed 110 runs from 66 balls to win.
Adam Zampa bowled Hassan Ali and Mohammad Wasim Jr. on consecutive balls
and also completed his 100 wickets in ODIs. He took four wickets in this match
by giving only 38 runs which is the best performance of his career.
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