Mitchell Starc produces a missile to send Mohammad Rizwan back

Australia continued with their grand form at home this summer on Friday as they rattled Pakistan’s batting to restrict them to 106 in 20 overs in the third T20I. It was the Kangaroos’ pace battery that came to the party after Aaron Finch won the toss and asked the visitors to bat first on a lively wicket at the Optus Stadium in Perth. Pakistan needed a good start to throw a challenge at Australia who are leading 1-0 but it was not to be.

Left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc, who opened the bowling, continued with his new-found rhythm at home and gave the Men in Green early jolts that they found difficult to overcome. Playing in his 28th T20I, Starc trapped in-form skipper Babar Azam (6) in the second ball of the third over.

And in the very next ball, a perfect inswinger from the seamer caught wicket-keeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan clueless. The 27-year-old, who has replaced the veteran Sarfaraz Ahmed in this series, was sent one position ahead in this game but he found the very first delivery too hot to handle.

Starc’s inswinger came in at 140 kph and swinging late, it crashed into the batsman’s middle and leg stumps after going through the gap as he tried to drive away from the body. The scene was ominous from Pakistan’s point of view. But that was it. Their youngsters simply don’t get to play enough of those deliveries in their formative years.

Pakistan somehow cross 100 runs in third game

The two-in-two left the Asians in a complete mess and barring a fighting 45 off 37 balls from Iftikhar Ahmed, Pakistan’s batting didn’t have much to write about. Only two batsmen managed to cross the two-figure mark against the Australian pace attack and they somehow avoided getting all out inside their allotted 20 overs.

Pakistan made some big changes to their squad in this tour of Australia, including the sacking of their regular captain Sarfaraz Ahmed. But after they avoided a defeat in the first match because of rain, they lost the second game by seven wickets in Canberra and now lost the 3rd T20I by 10 wickets.