In his return to ODI cricket after last year's World Cup final, Pat Cummins showcased his all-round skills to guide Australia to a tight two-wicket win over Pakistan. Playing their first ODI in nearly a year, Pakistan struggled with the bat and set a modest target of 203, looking likely to fall easily before Haris Rauf’s fiery spell nearly turned the tables. Yet, Cummins held his nerve, ensuring a winning start to Australia’s home season.
Australia’s chase began briskly, but Shaheen Afridi struck early, dismissing Matthew Short on a mistimed pull. In the next over, Naseem Shah removed Jake Fraser-McGurk, leaving the hosts slightly shaken. Unfazed, Steve Smith and Josh Inglis quickly steadied the innings, each finding the boundary and calming any early jitters.
Smith, batting fluently, punished Mohammad Hasnain with boundaries, while Inglis picked Naseem for a six. The duo’s onslaught continued as Australia raced past 100 within the first 15 overs, seemingly in control. However, after the drinks break, Rauf’s aggressive spell shattered the middle order. He dismissed Smith, and soon after, Shaheen sent the dangerous Inglis back to the pavilion.
In a dramatic twist, Rauf claimed two wickets in two balls, removing Marnus Labuschagne and Glenn Maxwell, leaving Australia reeling. Three wickets in five balls with no runs added shifted the momentum entirely, leaving Aaron Hardie, Sean Abbott, and Cummins to close the chase. Although Hardie fell with 49 runs still required, Cummins responded by driving his first ball for four, setting a confident tone. Despite Abbott’s run-out with 19 runs still needed, Cummins hit two crucial boundaries off Rauf, steering Australia over the finish line.
Earlier in the day, Mitchell Starc gave Australia a flying start, taking two wickets in under two overs. Debutant Saim Ayub chopped onto his stumps, while Abdullah Shafique’s innings was short-lived. New captain Mohammad Rizwan found scoring difficult, though Babar Azam appeared in fine touch, silencing doubts about his form with some graceful strokes.
Just as Babar and Rizwan looked set to stabilise Pakistan’s innings, Adam Zampa bowled Babar, and Cummins followed up with a sharp bouncer to dismiss Kamran Ghulam, leaving Pakistan struggling at 70 for 4. Rizwan, who initially labored for his runs, picked up pace, but Australia struck back regularly. Pakistan’s hopes dimmed at 117 for 6 until lower-order contributions from Irfan Khan and Shaheen Afridi, capped off by Naseem Shah’s entertaining cameo, lifted the total past 200.
Brief scores: Pakistan 203 in 46.4 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 44, Naseem Shah 40; Mitchell Starc 3/33, Pat Cummins 2/39) lost to Australia 204/8 in 33.3 overs (Josh Inglis 49, Steve Smith 44; Haris Rauf 3/67) by 2 wickets.