Australia clinch 29-run win over Pakistan in rain-shortened 1st T20I
In the rain-affected T20I series opener at The Gabba, Australia defeated Pakistan by 29 runs, with a dominant bowling performance that dismantled Pakistan’s batting lineup. The match, reduced to seven overs per side, saw Pakistan fall short of Australia’s 93-run target, managing only 64/9 in response.
Australia, batting first after Pakistan won the toss, began explosively with openers Jake Fraser-McGurk and Matthew Short scoring 16 runs off Shaheen Shah Afridi’s first over. Naseem Shah quickly dismissed Fraser-McGurk for nine in the second over, but Australia maintained momentum, with Glenn Maxwell, promoted to No.3, leading the charge. Maxwell top-scored with 43 runs off 19 balls, hitting five fours and three sixes, before falling to Mohammad Abbas. Marcus Stoinis added a late flourish, smashing 20 runs off Naseem Shah in the final over to push Australia’s total to 93/4.
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Pakistan’s chase started with some promise but quickly faltered. After losing their first wicket with 12 runs on the board, Pakistan experienced a rapid middle-order collapse. Key batters Babar Azam (3) and captain Mohammad Rizwan (0) fell cheaply, reducing Pakistan to a struggling 20/5 within three overs. Abbas Afridi, batting at No.8, offered some resistance with an unbeaten 20-run cameo, but Australia’s disciplined bowling attack proved insurmountable. Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, and Adam Zampa were instrumental, with Bartlett and Ellis each claiming three wickets.
Nathan Ellis led Australia’s bowling with figures of 3/9, supported by Bartlett’s 3/13. Adam Zampa also took two wickets, adding to the pressure that Pakistan’s batters could not withstand.
This T20I series comes on the heels of Pakistan’s recent ODI triumph over Australia, where they clinched their first ODI series win on Australian soil since 2002 with a 2-1 victory. However, this T20I loss is Pakistan’s first since their disappointing exit from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 group stage, marked by defeats against the United States and India.
Australia, by contrast, entered the series in strong form, following a 3-0 sweep against Scotland and a 1-1 series draw with England. With this victory, they have taken a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series against Pakistan.
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