Rizwan Ali
Arafat Minhas took five wickets on debut and hit the winning runs for Pakistan to beat an under-strength Australia by five wickets in a one-day international on Saturday.
The 21-year-old left-arm spinner Minhas took 5-32 and became the first Pakistan bowler to pick up five wickets in an ODI debut.
Australia was dismissed for 200 in 44.1 overs on a dry pitch tailor-made for spinners. Pakistan reached 202-5 in 42.3 overs to lead the three-match series 1-0.
Babar Azam scored 69 off 94 balls and wicketkeeper-batter Ghazi Ghori 65 for his maiden ODI fifty. Their 127-run stand helped Pakistan cruise to the target.
Minhas then sealed the game with a straight six against Marnus Labuschagne in an unbeaten 18 off 17 balls.
Babar was recalled after missing the Bangladesh series in March. He was dropped by Matthew Kuhnemann just after he completed his 38th ODI half-century, including four boundaries and a six.
Nathan Ellis clean-bowled Babar and trapped Ghori leg before, but Pakistan was on the brink of victory.
Australia was without first-choice bowlers Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc due to the Indian Premier League and workload management, and the bowling resources were further depleted when Adam Zampa was ruled out of Saturday’s game due to neck spasms.
Spinners Kuhnemann (1-29) and Tanveer Sangha (1-31) bowled steadily for 20 overs, but Babar and Ghori didn’t attempt any extravagant shots against them.
Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi read the sweltering conditions perfectly, and after he won the toss, Minhas cleaned out the Australia top order with support from Abrar Ahmed (2-44) and Salman Ali Agha (1-21).
Minhas took three wickets in six balls. He trapped captain Josh Inglis and Labuschagne and hit the top of Cameron Green’s off stump with a magical delivery that spun away from the right-hander. Australia slipped to 68-4 in the 16th over.
Inglis, handed the task to lead the side with Mitch Marsh ruled out with an ankle injury, saw his side struggle to handle Minhas’ tricky left-arm variation.
Australia’s own teen debutant, Oliver Peake, who became the tourists’ youngest ever specialist ODI batter at 19, could only make seven as his side struggled to post 200 in the opening match of the three-game series.
Leg-spinner Shadab Khan played his first ODI since the 2023 World Cup and was expensive. Matthew Renshaw top-scored for Australia with 61, six runs more than opener Matthew Short.
Pakistan became the third nation after India (1,075) and Australia (1,020) to play 1,000 ODIs. Lahore hosts the remaining two games on Tuesday and Thursday.
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AP
