Australia vs Pakistan, 1st T20I Highlights: Maxwell’s Blistering Knock Secures a 29-Run Victory
Australia vs Pakistan, 1st T20I Highlights: Maxwell Shines with Quickfire 43
In the rain-affected first Twenty20 International at the Gabba, Australia defeated Pakistan by a decisive 29 runs. After being postponed for about three hours because of the continuous rain and lightning, the match was shortened to a seven-over shootout.
After a difficult ODI series, Glenn Maxwell made a spectacular return with a scorching 43 off just 19 balls, assisting Australia in posting 93 for 4. Pakistan’s chase ended at 64 for 9 after faltering from the beginning.
Mohammad Rizwan, the captain of Pakistan, won the toss and chose to bowl first in an attempt to capitalize on the cloudy weather. But from the very first ball, Australia’s aggressive strategy was clear. As the home team attempted to take advantage of every scoring opportunity, Shaheen Shah Afridi, who is often Pakistan’s preferred bowler, was dismissed for 16 runs in his opening over.
Maxwell demonstrated his purpose by hitting Afridi for a six over third man with his signature reverse slogs. Maxwell was initially troubled by Haris Rauf’s tight over, but the Australian batsman swiftly turned the tide by hitting Rauf for 19 runs in his subsequent over.
Australia had already established a solid framework when Abbas Afridi finally fired Maxwell. The momentum was maintained by Tim David and Marcus Stoinis, who finished the innings with a rapid 21* off 8 balls, including 20 runs against Naseem Shah in the last over.
With two boundaries off the first two balls, Sahibzada Farhan gave Pakistan’s chase a strong start. But Spencer Johnson hit twice in the opening over, so their momentum was short-lived. A spectacular collapse ensued, with Pakistan losing five wickets for just eight runs in 12 balls.
Nathan Ellis carried on the attack, dismissing Babar Azam with his first delivery, while Xavier Bartlett made a significant comeback, dismissing Rizwan for a duck. Salman Ali Agha, the new vice captain, was also unable to make an impression, as Pakistan collapsed at 24 for 6 in four overs.
Despite the fact that the game was virtually settled, Pakistan put up a fight in the last three overs. Abbas Afridi and Haseebullah Khan shared 18 runs in one over during their brief partnership. Adam Zampa concluded the innings with two wickets in his final two deliveries, but Shaheen Afridi’s late six off Zampa offered some amusement.
Australia demonstrated their versatility and firepower with their strong performance in this condensed format. A resolute bowling performance and an aggressive knock from Glenn Maxwell guaranteed a resounding victory over Pakistan. The next game in the T20I series will be played in a few days, and the hosts are ahead 1-0.
