Australia's makeshift T20 international crew has endured a disappointing 22-run defeat in their opening match against Pakistan in Lahore, despite a standout performance from veteran spinner Adam Zampa. The shadow side, featuring three debutants and missing several top names with the T20 World Cup on the horizon, struggled to chase down Pakistan's total of 8-168 at the Gaddafi Stadium.
Zampa's brilliance not enough for depleted Aussies
In what proved to be a challenging encounter, Australia's all-time leading T20 wicket-taker Adam Zampa spearheaded their bowling effort with an excellent 4-24. His economical spell did most to restrict Pakistan's batting lineup, but Australia's reply on Thursday turned shambolic once key wickets fell.
Middle-order collapse proves costly
Stand-in captain Travis Head departed for 23 after an early brisk cameo, while Cameron Green holed out on 36, leaving Australia limping to 8-146. The impressive Xavier Bartlett, who earlier took 2-26, gave it a belated go with 34 not out off 25 balls, but Pakistan's four spinners had already strangled the Australian middle-order.
The victory marked Pakistan's first T20 win against Australia in seven years, ending a streak of seven straight defeats. Australia looked predictably short of weaponry with captain Mitch Marsh rested and missing Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Glenn Maxwell, Tim David and Nathan Ellis, all preserved with the World Cup looming.
Mixed fortunes for debutants
Of the three newcomers, Test batter Matt Renshaw was looking good only to be run out for 15 after a horrendous mix-up with Green. Allrounder Jack Edwards went for a wicketless 25 off two overs and failed with the bat, making just five runs.
Beardman shows promise despite early setback
There was some cheer for 20-year-old quick Mahli Beardman, who recovered impressively after a difficult start. His first ball in senior international cricket was dispatched for six by Saim Ayub, and he conceded 13 runs from his opening over. However, handed the death over, he ended with two tail-end wickets in successive balls. The youngster's hat-trick ball, unfortunately, was a no-ball that was edged through the vacant slip area.
"There are definitely positives, but also things to work on," shrugged stand-in captain Travis Head after the match. "We have two more opportunities before we head to Sri Lanka for the World Cup, and we want to continue playing as well as we can. Even though the result didn't go our way today, there are things we did well and areas we can improve."
Pakistan's strong recovery after early setback
After losing the toss and being asked to field, Head couldn't have envisaged a better start than Bartlett claiming the wicket of Sahibzada Farhan with a tame caught-and-bowled on the very first ball of the innings. Pakistan regrouped quickly though, with the excellent Saim Ayub (40) and captain Salman Agha (39) putting on a swift 73 for the second wicket.
Zampa's four-wicket haul dismantles top order
Zampa stopped the rot by tempting both Ayub and Agha to hole out in the deep in quick succession. The leg-spinner then struck again, trapping Babar Azam lbw on review for 24. As the most economical of all Australian bowlers, he completed his fine work by snaring Usman Khan as his third victim caught at long-on, meaning he'd dismissed all four of Pakistan's top-scorers.
Pakistan's spinners dominate Australian batting
Player of the match Saim Ayub proved too canny for both Australian openers with his spin, bowling Matt Short for five before Head, who'd hit two sixes among the 13 balls he faced, miscued to give Babar one of his three nicely-judged catches in the deep.
Abrar Ahmed's introduction proves decisive
The key moment came when mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed, who bowled superbly for 2-10 off his four overs, was introduced. His first over began with the run-out miscommunication between Renshaw and Green, before he bamboozled Cooper Connolly for a second-ball duck. Abrar later snaffled a struggling Josh Philippe for 12, while Mitch Owen got unlucky when he was run-out at the non-striker's end as Mohammad Nawaz's deflection of a Green drive deflected onto the stumps.
The defeat leaves Australia with work to do ahead of the remaining two matches in the series and their subsequent World Cup preparations in Sri Lanka.
