LAHORE, Jan 29: Pakistan beat Australia in a Twenty20 for the first time in eight years on Thursday.
The comfortable 22-run win to open the three-match series pitted a full-strength Pakistan against an under-strength Australia just over a week out from the T20 World Cup.
The spin quartet of Saim Ayub, Abrar Ahmed, Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz — all selected for the T20 World Cup —- shared six wickets to restrict Australia to 146-8 in reply to Pakistan’s 168-8.
Ahmed led with 2-10 off four overs and Ayub’s two wickets included Australia stand-in captain Travis Head for a 13-ball 23.
In the absence of five World Cup players, Australia also benched captain Mitchell Marsh and handed debuts to Matt Renshaw, Jack Edwards and Mahli Beardman on a slow Gaddafi Stadium pitch.
Head holed out to long-off off Ayub’s fuller delivery but Australia recovered to 51-2 at the end of the power play with Renshaw and Cameron Green set.
But in the eighth over, Renshaw was run out while attempting a needless single and Cooper Connolly was clean-bowled by Ahmed.
Green top-scored with 36 and Xavier Bartlett, 34 not out, narrowed the margin of defeat by hitting three fours and two sixes.
Earlier, Australia leg-spinner Adam Zampa (4-24) put the brakes on Pakistan’s strong start after Ayub (40) and Agha (39) shared a 74-run second-wicket stand off 43 balls.
Agha smashed four sixes and a boundary while left-handed Ayub’s 22-ball knock featured his trademark no-look boundaries over fine leg against pace. Zampa removed both set batters in his first two overs.
Babar Azam, who made a scratchy 20 off 24 balls in his 100th T20, struggled to keep the momentum going. Zampa pinned him in his return spell when Babar went for a reverse sweep.
Zampa missed a difficult return catch which could have dismissed Usman Khan on the next ball but ended up with brilliant figures when Khan holed out to long-on.
Lahore will also host the final two games on Saturday and Sunday. (AP)
