Melbourne: Skipper Pat Cummins kept his cool under pressure with a gritty unbeaten 32 to steer Australia to a nervy two wicket defeat of Pakistan in the first of three one-day internationals on Monday.
Chasing 204, they reached the target with 99 balls to spare at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, surviving a huge scare when they lost three wickets in five balls.
“Wonderful match but it got a little tighter than I would have liked it there,” said Cummins.
With Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head on paternity leave, the world champions had a new-look opening partnership in Jake Fraser-McGurk and Matt Short.
But Short lasted just four balls before top-edging to Saim Ayub off Shaheen Shah Afridi while Fraser-McGurk’s luck ran out on 16, slapping Naseem Shah to Irfan Khan at mid-on.
The experienced Steve Smith steadied the ship alongside Josh Inglis.
They put on 85 for the third wicket before Smith was undone by Haris Rauf on 44, well caught by Ayub at backward point.
Inglis followed for 49 soon after going for a big hit off Afridi, taken by Khan on his knees.
And when Rauf removed Marnus Labuschagne (16) three balls later, then Glenn Maxwell for a golden duck, Australia were suddenly 139-6 and it was game on.
Mohammad Hasnain bowled Aaron Hardie (10) and Sean Abbott (13) was guilty of a lazy run out, leaving the hosts needing 19 runs and two wickets left, with Cummins and Mitchell Starc (two) seeing them home.
“Really happy with how the guys bowled, everyone played their roles beautifully,” Cummins added.
“Obviously we need to try and find some partnerships (in the batting).”
Earlier, Starc took 3-33 Pakistan were dismissed for 203.
Newly appointed skipper Mohammad Rizwan top-scored with 44 but they struggled against some precision bowling, all out in the 47th over after Australia won the toss and sent them in.
“We need to play teams like that,” said Rizwan. “We decided whatever the situation we will fight and show courage.
“The luck was with Australia and that’s why they won.”
In Pakistan’s first 50-over game since last year’s World Cup, Starc broke through in the third over with Ayub chopping onto his stumps.
That brought Babar Azam to the crease, unburdened by the captaincy after quitting last month.
He upped the tempo before Starc struck again, with Abdullah Shafique caught behind for a tame 12.
Azam put on 39 with Rizwan before spinner Adam Zampa entered the fray and broke the partnership, bowling Azam for 37 with his fourth delivery.
His replacement Kamran Ghulam lasted just six balls, no match for a brutal Cummins bouncer, gloving to wicketkeeper Inglis to leave Pakistan struggling on 70-4 after 19 overs.
A patient Rizwan played himself in, but the wickets kept falling.
Salman Agha was smartly taken at square leg for 12 by Short off Abbott and Rizwan then departed attempting a sweep from part-time spinner Labuschagne.
Afridi hit an entertaining 24, but Starc again struck, rattling his middle stump, before a late flurry, with Shag adding a quick-fire 40.
Cummins to the rescue as Australia grind past Pakistan in opening ODI
https://arab.news/beqj6
Cummins to the rescue as Australia grind past Pakistan in opening ODI
- Chasing 204, they reached target with 99 balls to spare at Melbourne Cricket Ground
- Australians survived a huge scare when they lost three wickets in five balls at one point
Barcelona blitz Athletic Bilbao 5-0 to book place in Super Cup Final
- In a breathtaking 16-minute spell, the Catalans turned uncertainty into complete control, racing into a four-goal lead before the interval
- Raphinha scores a brace with goals on either side of half-time
JEDDAH: It did not look like the easiest opening 20 minutes for Barcelona in Jeddah during their encounter with Athletic Bilbao. Yet in a breathtaking 16-minute spell, the Catalans turned uncertainty into complete control, racing into a four-goal lead before the interval.
More than 50,000 fans packed the Al-Inma Stadium in Jeddah to witness the spectacle, although the likes of Marcus Rashford and Lamine Yamal were rested, allowing opportunities for youngsters like Roony Bardghji and Fermin Lopez.
Lopez would emerge as one of the standout performers of the night. While his threat inside the box was evident, it was his creativity that truly shone in front of the Jeddawi crowd.
Barcelona broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute. A sweeping move from side to side ended with Raphinha finding Bardghji on the right, whose cutback was met by Lopez before being laid off for Ferran Torres to finish calmly for 1-0.
Just eight minutes later, an exquisite backheel from Pedri released Raphinha down the left flank once again, with his low cross this time finding López to double Barcelona’s advantage.
Lopez contributed to his third goal of the night minutes later, this time slipping Bardghji down the right. The Kuwaiti-born winger skipped past Adama Boiro before striking at goal, with Unai Simon mishandling the ball as it trickled over the line.
The Blaugrana showed no signs of slowing down. Raphina finally got on the scoresheet in emphatic fashion with a belter into the top corner in the 38th minute.
To the surprise of many, neither side made any changes at the break. That decision quickly proved costly for Bilbao, as Raphinha struck again early in the second half, once more exploiting space down the flanks to extend the lead to 5-0.
With the contest beyond reach, Athletic head coach Ernesto Valverde rang the changes, making five substitutions to give minutes to his squad.
Barcelona, meanwhile, eased off to conserve energy ahead of Sunday’s final. To the delight of the crowd, both Rashford and Yamal were introduced, with Yamal receiving a warm standing ovation upon his entrance in the 72nd minute.
The emphatic victory marks Barcelona’s second consecutive five-goal display in the Spanish Super Cup, following last year’s 5-2 triumph over Real Madrid in the final.
The second semi-final takes place on Thursday, as Real Madrid face Atlético Madrid, with the winner set to meet Barcelona in Sunday’s final.
