Australia decimated a woeful Pakistan in the one-off Twenty20 International (T20I) at Dubai International Cricket Stadium thanks to a convincing six wicket victory on Sunday.
The tourists chased down Pakistan’s disappointing 96-9 with 36 balls left, leaving the hosts in tatters ahead of the ODI series that begins in Sharjah on Tuesday.
Despite losing captain Aaron Finch for 5, Australia never looked in danger of failing to chase down the Pakistan target. And it was David Warner’s composed fifty that made sure that the Aussies chased down the total with minimal fuss.
Glenn Maxwell was also bright in a brief innings of 17 but he was trapped lbw by Shahid Afridi to the delight of the crowd.
Steve Smith (3) departed soon after and Phil Hughes’ stay was brief, but the task of bowling Australia out for such a low score proved too much for Afridi’s men.
Despite admirable fight, Pakistan were unable to contain or blow away Australia with the ball and Warner’s unbeaten 53 from 39 balls saw that his team registered a comfortable first win of the tour.
Earlier in the evening a sell-out crowd at Dubai International Cricket Stadium was in raucous mood and the sight of the Afridi brought fervent cheers and loud whistles.
Australia handed debuts to four players, with Hughes, Sean Abbott, Kane Richardson and Cameron Boyce all representing their country for the first time in T20Is.
Meanwhile, Pakistan were a depleted outfit in the absence of star men Saeed Ajmal – suspended for an illegal bowling action – and the injured Mohammed Hafeez.
Pakistan’s innings got off to a sluggish start and Owais Zia was the first to go in the third over, chipping Maxwell to Kane Richardson for 3 as he attempted to haul the spinner over the top. Just three balls later Umer Amin (0) followed the opener back to the pavilion, stumped by Brad Haddin off the same bowler.
Reeling at 13-2, Pakistan were in search of some much needed urgency and a partnership of substance.
Neither were forthcoming and an over later Maxwell had his third, bowling Sohaib Maqsood for naught.
Even Maxwell being replaced by Boyce gave Pakistan no letup as the leg-spinner had Ahmed Shahzad caught at slip by Aaron Finch for 10 in his first over of T20I cricket.
Richardson got in on the act an over later, also picking up a wicket in his first six balls as an Australian T20I, Umar Akmal skying one to David Warner at mid-off to leave Pakistan 36-5.
That wicket brought Afridi to the crease but despite the support of the Pakistan faithful, the captain went for 2 shortly afterwards, falling lbw to Abbott.
At the halfway stage Pakistan were 46-6 and their hopes of victory were quickly evaporating. Those hopes were all but over shortly afterwards, Anwar Ali becoming Boyce’s second victim and once Mitchell Starc bowled Saad Nasim for 25, their chances of making a competitive total were long gone.
Pakistan did, however, manage to avoid being bowled out and ended their allotted overs with 96-9, their fifth lowest total in T20Is.
