Pakistan started the home ODI series against Australia on a winning note, beating the tourists by five wickets in the first ODI at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday. After opting to bowl first, the hosts displayed disciplined bowling Arafat Minhas before a hit screen of Babar Azam and Gazi Gori He led them to victory with 45 balls.
Arafat Minhas destroys Australia’s batting line-up
Australia struggled to build momentum after being sent in to bat and were eventually bowled out for 200 in 44.1 overs. An opener Matthew Short while fighting hard to deliver his 55 off 76 Matt Renshaw batted brilliantly for the visitors with 61 off 63 balls including five boundaries and a six.
The tourists made a steady start through the short and through Alex Careybut the Pakistani bowlers continued to bat regularly. Carey scored 19 goals and Josh Inglis scored 13 goals. Australia’s middle order then suffered a dramatic collapse Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green was dismissed without scoring.
The turning point came through Minhas, who produced career-defining magic. The young spinner tore through Australia’s middle and lower order, claiming outstanding figures of 5/32 from his 10 overs. His spell ensured that Australia never recovered despite Renshaw’s resistance.
Abrar Ahmed while chipped in with two wickets Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf and Salman Agha each took a scalp. Australia have lost their last six wickets for a total of 39 runs, falling well short of a competitive result.
Babar Azam and Ghazi Ghori anchor Pakistan’s successful chase
Chasing 201 for victory, Pakistan started cautiously but remained in control throughout the innings. Sahibzade Farhan previously provided 28 useful contributions to the summit Maz Sadagat Left for 8. Pakistan were soon reduced to 43/2, Babar and Ghori combined to take the game away from Australia. The pair put together a crucial partnership that stabilized the innings and pushed Pakistan steadily towards the target.
Babar once again displayed his trademark consistency, compiling a classy 69 off 94 deliveries. The former captain mixed patience with authority, hitting four boundaries and a six during his innings. At the other end, Gorey impressed with 65 off 92 balls, finding the fence eight times and keeping the scoreboard moving.
Their partnership effectively dashed Australia’s hopes of defending a modest total. Both shots landed before the finish, but the damage had already been done. Minhas capped a memorable outing with an unbeaten 18 off 17 balls, including two fours and a six. Salman Agha added a quickfire 6 while Abdul Samad remained unbeaten on 1 as Pakistan reached 202/5 in 42.3 overs.
Nathan Ellis Australia’s most successful bowler was two wicketkeepers Matthew Kuhnemann, Tanveer Sangha and Labuschagne claimed a wicket each. However, the visitors lacked the firepower needed to constantly trouble Pakistan’s batsmen. For his exceptional all-round contribution, particularly his match-winning five-wicket haul, Minhas was deservedly named Man of the Match. His brilliance with the ball was key to Pakistan’s win and helped the hosts take a 1-0 lead in the ODI series.
Pakistan have an easy win over Australia in the first ODI 💪#PAKvsAUS #cricket pic.twitter.com/zaSR8y2VRS
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) May 31, 2026
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