RAWALPINDI: Pakistan out-spun Australia by five wickets in the first One Day International in Rawalpindi with spinner Arafat Minhas becoming the first home bowler to take five wickets on ODI debut on Saturday night.
Minhas finished with five for 32 as an under-strength Australia was bowled out for 200 in 44.1 overs before Pakistan chased down the target in 42.3 overs for a memorable win in its 1,000 ODI.
Babar Azam notched a 94-ball 69 while Ghazi Ghori hit an impressive 92-ball 65 as Australia’s inexperienced spinners failed to match Pakistan slow bowlers on a dry spin-assisting Rawalpindi Stadium pitch.
Azam and Ghori added 127 runs for the third wicket after Sahibzada Farhan (28) and Maaz Sadaqat (eight) fell with the score at 49.
Azam hit four boundaries and a six while Ghori’s knock had eight hits to the rope before both falling to pacer Nathan Ellis, but with just 16 to win that did not hurt Pakistan.
Australia, sent in to bat, saw Matthew Renshaw hitting a career best 63-ball 61 and opener Matthew Short scoring a 76-ball 55 amidst a spin assault with eight wickets going to slow bowlers.
It was Abrar (two for 44) who broke the opening stand of 34 with the wicket of Alex Carey for 19, before Minhas destroyed the batting with guile and accuracy.
Minhas had stand-in skipper Josh Inglis (13) and Marnus Labuschagne (nought) in his fourth over before getting Cameron Green for a third ball duck in his next.
At 68 for four, Australia was in a spot of bother, but Short and Renshaw fought hard through a fifth wicket stand of 55 before Minhas broke the stand, getting Short stumped.
Abrar returned for his second spell to dismiss Renshaw while Arafat completed his five-wicket haul by Nathan Ellis for eight.
The remaining two matches are in Lahore on Tuesday and Thursday. Agencies
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