Pakistan nearly got bowled in a 7-overs-a-side contest against Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane on Thursday. After registering a historic 2-1 series win – their first in Australia in any format – in the ODIs, Pakistan lost 9 wickets in 39 balls in the rain-curtailed first T20I, losing the match by 29 runs. The match was reduced to a contest with seven overs per side after a delayed start due to heavy rain and lightning.
After Glenn Maxwell’s blistering 43 off 19 balls powered a shorthanded Australia to an imposing 93-4, Pakistan’s batting-order crumbled under lights to finish well short on 64-9.
Pacers Nathan Ellis and Xavier Bartlett made a strong impact upon their return to the team after recent injuries. Australia delivered an emphatic performance despite the absence of several key players who are preparing for the highly anticipated Test series against India.
“We almost had our bags packed because we thought we wouldn’t get to play,” Maxwell noted. “We certainly had a lot of fun out there.”
The series will move to the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday, concluding with a match in Hobart on Monday.
“It’s hard to maintain a sense of normalcy in a match like this because it unfolded quickly,” commented Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan.
Due to thunderstorms in Brisbane in recent days, the match started over two hours late, and under the modified playing conditions, bowlers were restricted to a maximum of two overs each.
Australia’s early attack
Pakistan came into the match energized after a surprising 2-1 ODI series victory, ending a 22-year winless streak against Australia on their home soil.
However, after new T20 captain Rizwan chose to bowl first, Pakistan’s fast bowlers faced a tough challenge from Australia’s aggressive batting lineup.
Openers Jake Fraser-McGurk and Matt Short set a high standard by racking up 16 runs in the opening over.
Fraser-McGurk (9) was dismissed on the first ball of the second over by the speedy Naseem Shah, paving the way for Maxwell, who struck four boundaries in his first six deliveries.
Maxwell showcased his creativity, hitting a massive six over deep midwicket off in-form pacer Haris Rauf, who had troubled him during the ODI series.
The 36-year-old looked set for a half-century before being caught by Abbas Afridi in the sixth over.
Allrounder Marcus Stoinis capped off Australia’s innings with an explosive 21 runs off just seven balls.
In response, Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan made his intentions clear with back-to-back boundaries off left-arm quick Spencer Johnson, but he was out two balls later after miscuing a pull shot.
Pakistan’s chase stumbled further as Rizwan fell for a duck on his second ball bowled by Bartlett, who dismissed Usman Khan shortly after in the same over.
The collapse continued when talisman Babar Azam (3) was caught on the second ball he faced from Ellis, leaving Pakistan struggling at 16-4. Despite some late hitting from Abbas, who scored 20 off 10 balls, they were never in contention.
