With a morale-boosting win in the one-off T20I in Dubai, Australia will take a lot of confidence going into the opening ODI of their series against Pakistan . Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 9:00pm (AEDT).
Australia may not want to attach too much importance to a T20I victory but they will be cock-a-hoop over the manner of their win.
The conditions were tailor-made for the ‘hosts’ Pakistan. The ball spun from the word go and Pakistan got first use of the pitch to bat on as well.
The heat and humidity suited them too and it could have led to a typical result in a format that hasn’t been Australia’s favourite in recent times.
Instead Australia used the spinning pitch to their advantage and crashed through Pakistan’s batting order.
Pakistan did miss two of their players, two vital spinners in Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez but that does not take away from the fact that the Aussie slow bowlers sent down a total of eight overs between them, conceded 27 runs and picked up five wickets.
It was a taste of their own medicine for the Pakistani side.
What should not go down too well for Pakistan is the manner in which they went down.
Most of their top-order batsmen fell playing shots before getting their eye in. It’s one thing to attempt slogging your way out of trouble and quite another to invite trouble by going after the bowling within the first seven balls of your innings, as was the case with five of their top seven batsmen.
The sense one also got from that T20I was that the Australian batsmen did have trouble against the spin bowlers, as has usually been the case in recent times, but Pakistan did not have too many overs from their frontline spinners in their kitty.
Captain Bailey, standing in for the hamstrung Michael Clarke, admitted that the side was looking to improve playing against spin bowling but it continued to remain a challenge for now. The absence of Ajmal should help.
Australia could also welcome back Mitchell Johnson and Nathan Lyon and it will be interesting to see how both go.
Johnson will be returning from an injury and if fully fit, has the ability to put fear in the opposition batsmen’s minds while Lyon did go for a few in the tri-series in Zimbabwe. On pitches that assist slow bowling, but against batsmen who play spin better than most, Lyon could be in for a challenging battle.
Misbah will return to skipper Pakistan after Shahid Afridi’s stint as the T20I captain and his batting in the middle of the innings could play an instrumental role in getting Pakistan through tricky phases.
He will also be a calming presence to the side, something that they sorely lacked in the T20I on Sunday evening.
Join me for this first ODI between Pakistan and Australia on Sunday here and you can follow the live score of this game from 9:00pm(AEDT) and post your comments below.
Steve Bates
Roar Rookie
Thanks Suneer!
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
This has been another poor showing by the Pakistani batsmen. The bowlers have been decent, restricting Australia to 255 was a good effort on their part but what followed from when they were 1/59 pointed to it being a lack of technique and experience. What makes it worse is that the technique issue comes against slow bowling. Earlier, Steven Smith scored his first ODI century after coming in on the second ball of the innings. It was a century of a very high pedigree, with a lot of maturity and came off 118 balls. He should be the man of the match. That's all from me, will be back on Friday with the second ODI. Ciao!
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Gone, run-out, what an anti-climax that! Irfan had tried to back away and hit it straight to mid-off but forgot to make his way back into the crease. By the time Warner threw it back from mid-off and hit the stumps, Irfan trying to get back but falls short. That's that, Pakistan have been bowled out for 162. Australia win by 93 runs!
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Babar isn't going to die wondering. On his debut and he is looking to take on the quicks as well. He has punched one through wide mid-off and then nearly holes out to mid-off - gets it just over him for a single. 9/162 in the 37th
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Six more! Hokey-pokey goes awry! That wasn't timed too well and looked to be going straight to the fielder, Nathan Lyon, at long-on. He caught it, wasn't able to balance and had to throw the ball up. Lyon went out of the arena, came back in and should have taken it easy. Instead, he parries it over the fence. 9/157 in 36
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Another six! Maxwell's been ripped apart here... ...that's gone longgggg way out of the ground, the seven-foot tall Mohammad Irfan has given it his all and tonked it over mid-wicket for a biggie. First six for Irfan in international cricket! 9/151 in the 36th
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Six for Babar! Slowed it down Maxwell and the number 10 has gone down the track and bludgeoned him over long-off. Follows it up with an attempted reverse slog - Maxwell has a wry smile! 9/144 in the 36th
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Wicket-maiden from Richardson. 9/137 in 35. Thoroughly disappointing batting from Pakistan, this. And they had the gall to drop Younis Khan.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
So the Powerplay has been taken... ...and Akmal is bowled! That was on a length from Richardson and Akmal was looking to pull that one away. Missed it completely and his stumps have been pegged back, ending whatever shred of resistance that existed. 9/137 in 34.1
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Nope, the life's been sucked out again...and this is the end of Wahab Riaz. Pitched up by Maxwell and Riaz was looking to go after him but just chips it back to the bowler, who dives to his right to take a good catch. Eight down. 119 more needed.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Two runs have come off the previous two overs, before Akmal's finally hit a much-needed four off Lyon. And then Riaz gets off the mark with a four through square-leg. Is there still some life in this chase? 120 needed from 104, with three wickets remaining.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Edged, taken and seven down! Johnson has three. Johnson was looking to pitch it right up to Anwar Ali here, trying to get him to drive at wider ones and this time he obliges. The outside edge is taken and the keeper takes a simple one. 7/125 in 30.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Three runs from the Lyon over. He has bowled beautifully today, teasing the batsmen with his turn and flight. 6/123 in 29
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Anwar Ali has thrown his bat at one that's slightly wider and got himself a four. Johnson was looking to go from round the stumps... ...and he's now back to over the wicket. 6/120 in the 28th
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Back to cricket on the field and Mitchell Johnson has been brought back into the attack. Anwar Ali did not have a great time with the ball and now it's his chance to try and get something off the bat. Akmal has moved on to 36 from 41. 6/115 in the 28th
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
The way they have been going, it's incredibly unbelievable for an international team I suppose. England has been doing a Pakistan these days. The only thing that remains is a NOTW-style sting operation now.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
A single off the Richardson over before Akmal goes after Abbott and hits one really high. Did not look like it had come off the middle but it lands just short of the long-on fence. Rolls over for a four. 6/112 in the 26th
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Kane Richardson has been brought back into the attack. That's after Abbott conceded another four to Umar Akmal last over - making it nine off the over but the Afridi wicket.
Tom from Perth
Roar Rookie
“Aren’t there any better players at County level? Carberry is useless” hahah!
Tom from Perth
Roar Rookie
Pakistan :(