LAHORE: Pakistan set a target of 169 runs against Australia to win the first T20 match of the three-match series.
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha won the toss and elected to bat first in the match being played at the Gaddafi Stadium. Pakistan scored 168 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in the allotted 20 overs. Saim Ayub was the standout batsman with 40 runs.
Pakistan did not start well against Australia, when Sahibzada Farhan was dismissed for zero on the very first ball of the match. After the loss of one wicket, Saim Ayub and captain Salman Ali Agha batted responsibly and played some impressive shots.
However, Saim Ayub was dismissed for 40 runs on a total score of 74. After that, Salman Ali Agha was dismissed for 39, Babar Azam 24, Fakhar Zaman 10, Usman Khan 18, Shadab one, and Shaheen for zero. Mohammad Nawaz remained unbeaten on 15 runs. Thus, Pakistan scored 168 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in the stipulated 20 overs.
Australia’s Adam Zampa took 4 wickets for 24 runs, while Bartlett and Beardman took 2 wickets each. It should be noted that the Australian team is led by Travis Head, while 3 players made their debuts, including Mahli Beardman, Jack Edwards, and Matthew Renshaw. Pakistan’s playing XI includes Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Usman Khan, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Salman Mirza, and Abrar Ahmeda.
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