Australia vs Pakistan 1st ODI Review: Wade, Faulkner powers Australia to comprehensive win

Australia continued their domination over Pakistan even in the limited overs format and completed a comprehensive victory by 92 runs in the 1st ODI of the 5 match series at the Gabba in Brisbane today. Courtesy a brilliant century by wicket-keeper batsman Mathew Wade the Aussies reached a competitive 268/9 in their allotted 50 overs after being reduced to 170/7. Pakistan began pretty well but after Azhar Ali was retired hurt their progress was stalled and they fell way behind the match and had to play catch from there on. They lost wickets at regular intervals and was eventually bowled out for 176 in 42.4 overs.

Australian captain Steven Smith won the toss and opted to bat. The visitors got off to an ideal start shrugging back the disappointments in the Test series by picking two early wickets to derail Australia’s progress. Mohammad Amir was just terrific with the new ball and got his reward in the 5th over by dismissing David Warner and captain Steve Smith in successive deliveries. While David Warner fell to a swinging Yorker which came back sharply and hit the timbers, Steve Smith was dismissed by an outswinger outside the off stump which took the outside edge of his bat and was safely pouched by Mohammad Rizwan behind the stumps.

Debutant Chris Lynn joined Travis Head in the middle. Lynn undoubtedly deserved a chance after his consistent heroics in the BBL. Lynn looked good during his short stay and smashed Imad Wasim for a monstrous six over mid-on which was followed by a hat-trick of boundaries by Travis Head in the 9th over. Australia’s joy was shortlived as Lynn fell in the 10th over of the bowling of Hasan Ali. Despite the fall of Lynn’s wicket, there was no stopping Head as he smashed two consecutive boundaries just in the next two balls of Lynn’s dismissal.

Head too fell in a quick succession of the bowling of Imad Wasim to leave the hosts reeling at 67/4 in 13 overs. Mitchell Marsh added to Australia’s misery by surrendering his wicket and reducing them to 78/5. Mathew Wade joined Glenn Maxwell in the middle and the duo played some delightful shots to take the Australians out of the hole. Maxwell completed a superb half-century but at the score of 60 he went for a big six but ended up giving an easy catch to Mohammad Hafeez in the deep.

Also read: Australia v Pakistan, 1st ODI: 5 Talking Points

Wade played brilliantly despite Maxwell’s dismissal in the 31st over followed by James Faulkner’s wicket in the in the 34th overs. The Aussies were precariously placed at 170/7 but they could have taken heart from the fact that Wade was still there and playing well. The gritty southpaw batted tremendously well with the tail-enders and reached his maiden ODI century in the final delivery of the innings. He remained unbeaten exactly on hundred, an innings constructed with 7 fours and 2 hits over the fence. Hasan Ali was the pick of the Pakistan bowlers but was expensive. He finished with 3/65 in 9 overs.

Given the terrific batting pitch Pakistan was expected to chase down the target and they began well too. Openers Azhar Ali and Sharjeel began in a solid fashion with both playing on the merit of the deliveries. While Sharjeel was the aggressive partner, Azhar played the 2nd fiddle. Sharjeel struck a beautiful boundary and a monstrous six before he was dismissed in the 9th over by James Faulkner. It was a well-disguised slower delivery by the all-rounder which undid the left-hander.

Azhar Ali, on the other hand, was getting cramps and after receiving treatment he resumed batting. Butt just after an over he felt the hamstring again and retired hurt in the 10th over to leave the visitors precariously placed. There were tow new batsmen in the middle with comeback man Mohammad Hafeez and Babar Azam. Hafeez had a forgettable outing in his comeback match as he failed to read a cutter from Faulkner and ended up edging it to Wade behind the stumps.

Following Hafeez’s dismissal, Umar Akmal joined Azam in the middle. Akmal struck three beautiful boundaries before perishing in the 17th over of the bowling of Mitchell Starc. It was short of a length delivery and Akmal was cramped for room and played a horrible shot. There was no solidity in the Pakistan batting order as they couldn’t make substantial partnerships. Babar Azam too was dismissed cheaply in the 26th over followed by Mohammad Rizwan and Mohammad Nawaz’s wicket. It was a pretty pathetic display by the Pakistani batsmen despite troubling Australia early on in the match.

Also read: Twitter Reactions: Australia come from behind to beat Pakistan in the 1st ODI

Pakistan eventually crumbled to 176 in the 43rd over handing Australia a comprehensive victory by 92 runs. James Faulkner was the wrecker-in-chief as far as the Aussies were concerned and finished with impressive figures of 4/32 in his 7 overs. He was immaculate with his slower deliveries and got the rewards for pitching the ball consistently in the right areas. Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc also chipped in with 3 wickets and 2 wickets each.

Brief Scores

Australia 268/9 in 50 overs (Matthew Wade 100*, Hasan Ali 3/65)

Pakistan 176 all-out in 42.4 overs (Babar Azam 33, James Faulkner 4/32)

Australia won by 92 runs