RAWALPINDI – Pakistan stormed to commanding 5-wicket victory over Australia in opening ODI at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, chasing down 201 with ease and 45 balls to spare.
Arafat Minhas amassed all the spotlight with sensational five-wicket haul ripped through Australia’s batting lineup, while superstar Babar Azam and rising partner Ghazi Ghori stitched a match-defining partnership to seal the win in style.
Opting to field first after winning the toss, Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi saw his decision pay off immediately as Australia were restricted to 200 all out in 44.1 overs.
Aussies began steadily with a 34-run opening stand between Matthew Short and Alex Carey, but Abrar Ahmed struck early to remove Carey for 19.
Short then combined with captain Josh Inglis, but the momentum quickly shifted when Minhas entered the attack and produced magic. The debutant tore through the Australian middle order, dismissing Inglis (13), trapping Marnus Labuschagne for a duck, and removing Cameron Green in rapid succession, leaving Australia reeling at 68/4.
Despite resistance from Short, who reached a fighting 55, and later Matt Renshaw, who top-scored with 61, Australia never recovered. Minhas returned again to remove Short, while Abrar Ahmed struck crucial blows, finishing with two wickets. The tail folded cheaply under pressure from Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf, wrapping up Australia’s innings at exactly 200.
The star of the innings was undeniably Arafat Minhas, who announced himself on the international stage with extraordinary figures of 5 for 32 in 10 overs. Abrar Ahmed supported brilliantly with two wickets, while Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Salman Ali Agha chipped in with one wicket each.
Chasing 201, Pakistan suffered an early setback when Maaz Sadaqat fell for 8 with just 25 on the board. Sahibzada Farhan added 28 off 33 balls and shared a brief 24-run stand with Babar Azam before being dismissed by Tanveer Sangha. Then came the turning point.
Babar Azam and Ghazi Ghori took control with absolute authority, building a majestic 127-run partnership for the third wicket. Both batters rotated strike intelligently while punishing loose deliveries, dismantling Australia’s bowling attack with calm precision.
Babar led from the front, scoring a fluent 69 off 94 balls, including four boundaries and a six, before falling to Nathan Ellis in the 39th over to a clever slower ball. Ellis struck again almost immediately, removing Ghazi Ghori for a superb 65 off 92 balls, an innings decorated with eight elegant boundaries.
Pakistan briefly wobbled when Salman Ali Agha was trapped lbw for 6 by Marnus Labuschagne, but there was no stopping the hosts. Fittingly, it was debut hero Arafat Minhas who delivered the finishing blow, smashing a towering six and remaining unbeaten on 18 off 17 balls to seal a memorable victory.
Nathan Ellis stood out for Australia with 2 wickets for 45 runs, while Tanveer Sangha, Labuschagne, and Kuhnemann picked up one wicket each—but it wasn’t enough to stop Pakistan’s dominance.
From Minhas’ dream debut spell to Babar’s composed leadership and Ghori’s grit, Pakistan produced a complete performance to take a 1–0 lead in the series in emphatic fashion.
Australia, under the leadership of Josh Inglis arrived with a strong and balanced squad. Their side includes seasoned performers Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Alex Carey and Adam Zampa, supported by Nathan Ellis, Matthew Short and others, making them a formidable challenge in the series opener.
The rivalry adds extra weight to the contest, with Pakistan and Australia having faced each other 111 times in ODIs. Australia have historically dominated with 71 victories, while Pakistan have managed 36 wins. Three matches ended with no result and one ended in a tie, reflecting a long but uneven battle between the two sides.
Form going into the series is closely matched, with both teams winning three of their last five completed ODIs. Pakistan come into the series after a 2-1 defeat in Bangladesh earlier this year, a result they will be eager to bounce back from on home soil. Australia, meanwhile, return to ODI cricket after a long gap since October 2025, when they secured a 2-1 series win over India at home.
With Pakistan choosing to bowl first, the stage is now set for a high-intensity clash as both teams look to seize early control of the series in Rawalpindi.
More updates to follow…
