Starc-led Australia book Pakistan on 203 in first ODI

MELBOURNE: In a standout performance, Mitchell Starc took 3 wickets for 33 runs, guiding Australia to bowl out Pakistan for a modest total in the first ODI of their three-match series at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Monday.

Opting to bat first, Pakistan’s batting lineup faltered against a determined Australian bowling attack, managing to score only 203 runs before being dismissed in the 47th over.

The visitors’ innings got off to a rough start, with debutant opener Saim Ayub falling for just 1 run in the third over, leaving Pakistan at 3 runs. His opening partner, Abdullah Shafique, faced a similar fate, also dismissed by Starc, which put Pakistan in a precarious position at 24 for 2 within 6.4 overs.

Despite the early setbacks, captain Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam built a resilient partnership, adding 39 runs for the third wicket. However, the introduction of spin by Pat Cummins shifted momentum back to Australia, with Adam Zampa dismissing Babar Azam in the 18th over. Babar’s innings included 4 boundaries, and he scored a cautious 37 runs off 44 balls.

Babar’s dismissal sparked a rapid middle-order collapse, and Pakistan soon found themselves reeling at 117 for 6 in 31.4 overs, with Rizwan, who top-scored with 44 runs from 71 balls, also back in the pavilion.

Debutant Muhammad Irfan Khan then formed a vital partnership with Shaheen Shah Afridi, contributing 31 runs at a brisk pace before Shaheen was dismissed by Starc in the 37th over. Irfan later teamed up with Naseem Shah to add another 27 runs for the eighth wicket, but his promising innings ended in disappointment when he was run out for 22 runs off 35 balls.

Naseem Shah provided some late fireworks, aggressively targeting the Australian bowlers and finishing with a quickfire 40 runs off 39 balls, including one four and four sixes.

Starc was the standout bowler for Australia with his three wickets, while Adam Zampa and Pat Cummins claimed two each. Sean Abbott and Marnus Labuschagne contributed with one wicket apiece.