Kamal Ghorui
LAHORE: All-rounder Saim Ayub starred in Pakistan’s spin-assisted 22-run win over Australia in the first Twenty20 international in Lahore on Thursday.Ayub top-scored in Pakistan’s 168-8 with a 22-ball 40 that included two sixes and three fours, while Salman Agha added four sixes and a four in his 27-ball 39.The tourists managed 146-8 in their 20 overs with spinners taking six wickets for Pakistan.
With the ball, Ayub dismissed Australian openers Matthew Short (five) and Travis Head, who hit two sixes and two fours in his 13-ball 23. Cameroon Green resisted with a 31-ball 36 but Australia succumbed to spin with Abrar Ahmed taking 2-10 while Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan took a wicket apiece.Both teams were tuning up for the Twenty20 World Cup starting in India and Sri Lanka from February 7.Pakistan skipper Agha praised a team effort.“It was a great game with complete team effort,” said Agha. “We started well with the bat but couldn’t finish the way we wanted.“It became challenging after the first 10 overs as the ball stopped coming onto the bat, but I think we were outstanding with the ball.”Head, standing in for regular skipper Mitchell Marsh who rested, showed disappointment over batting. “It was disappointing, but that’s how batting goes sometimes,” said Head. “We felt like we dragged it back well after the first 10 overs but as the ball got softer, it became harder to score.”Earlier, Ayub led Pakistan’s batting after the home team won the toss and chose to bat.Paceman Xavier Bartlett jolted Pakistan by dismissing Sahibzada Farhan with the first ball of the match.But Ayub and Agha restored the innings with a second wicket stand of 74, but spinner Adam Zampa put the brakes on Pakistan’s progress with 4-24.Zampa dismissed both Ayub and Agha in successive overs before accounting for Babar Azam (24) and Usman Khan (18).Debutant Mahli Beardman finished with 2-33 as Pakistan managed just 31 in the last five overs.The last two matches are on Saturday and Sunday, also in Lahore.
