Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc quickly dismissed debutant Pakistan opener Saim Ayub in the first ODI between Australia and Pakistan on Monday, November 4, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), which is hosting the first match of the three-match series.
Ayub, who had already played T20Is and Tests, made his ODI debut in this match. He opened the innings with Abdullah Shafique and scored a single off his first delivery.
However, his excitement was short-lived; on the fourth ball of the third over, as Saim attempted to block a delivery towards covers, an inswinger from Starc caught the inside edge and knocked over the off stump, ending his debut innings.
You can watch the video here:
https://x.com/cricketcomau/status/1853284728968761819?s=46
On his debut, Saim Ayub scored just one run off five balls before being dismissed, leaving Pakistan at 3/1 in the third over and bringing Babar Azam to the crease.
Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan teamed up to stage a comeback against the hosts in the first ODI
After winning the toss and opting to bowl first, Australia, led by Mitchell Starc, made an explosive start by dismissing Saim Ayub for just 1 run off five balls. A few overs later, Starc struck again, removing Abdullah Shafique, who managed 12 runs off 26 balls, ending his difficult innings.
Shafique attempted to build the innings but was dismissed for 12 runs in the 7th over, caught by Josh Inglis off Starc’s bowling. With Pakistan at 24/2, Babar took on the responsibility, showing his usual composure and hitting timely boundaries to advance the score. He confidently moved to 37 not out off 41 balls while partnering with Mohammad Rizwan.
However, Babar later fell victim to Adam Zampa’s deceptive spin. With both top-order batsmen out, Mohammad Rizwan and Kamran Ghulam now need to establish a crucial partnership to stabilize the innings, as Pakistan struggles at 68/3 in 18 overs.
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