Under-strength Australia undone by debutant in first Pakistan ODI

Pakistan secured a five-wicket victory over an under-strength Australia in the first One Day International of their series, thanks to a stellar debut performance from spinner Arafat Minhas. The 20-year-old all-rounder was the decisive factor, taking 5-32 with the ball and then hitting the winning six to seal the win in Rawalpindi.

Australia, sent in to bat after Pakistan won the toss, struggled to post a competitive total, reaching 200 all out in the 44.1 overs. Matt Renshaw top-scored with 61, while Matt Short contributed 55. However, the innings was marred by several ducks, including those of Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green, highlighting Australia's batting fragility.

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Obviously, there was two different conditions out there. Pakistan won the toss and bowled so they could bowl during the daytime, and once the sheen came in, once the dew came in, it was a little bit different for our bowlers.

Minhas wreaked havoc on the Australian middle order, dismissing key players and restricting their progress. After a promising 55-run partnership between Short and Renshaw, the innings faltered, with the last four wickets falling for just 21 runs. This left Pakistan with a modest target to chase.

In the run chase, Pakistan's openers were dismissed early, but captain Babar Azam (69) and Ghazi Ghori (65) built a crucial partnership. With only 16 runs needed, Minhas came to the crease and calmly finished the game with an unbeaten 18, including the match-winning boundary. Australia's bowlers fought hard, but the debutant's all-round performance proved too much to overcome.

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I felt like our bowlers bowled really well in those conditions [and] made it a really tough chase for Pakistan.