Australia win the first ODI by two wickets

After a long break following their World Cup win, Australia returned to the ODI format, with captain Pat Cummins emerging as the hero in a thrilling victory that rescued his team from the brink. Australia defeated Pakistan by 2 wickets in a nail-biting finish, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series.

On Monday, Pakistan lost the toss and were put to bat first at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Opener Saim Ayub was dismissed for just 1 run by Mitchell Starc, and soon after, Abdullah Shafique followed with only 12 runs on the board. Former captain Babar Azam, playing after stepping down from captaincy, scored 37 off 44 balls before being dismissed.

Pakistan found themselves struggling at 70/4. Their new captain, Mohammad Rizwan, held the innings together with a steady 44 runs off 71 balls. Agha Salman, Irfan Khan, and Shaheen Afridi made promising starts but couldn’t capitalize. Thanks to Naseem Shah's late contribution of 40 runs, Pakistan managed to reach a total of 203.

Mitchell Starc was instrumental in dismantling Pakistan’s lineup, taking 3 wickets, while Pat Cummins and Adam Zampa chipped in with 2 wickets each, helping bowl Pakistan out in 46.4 overs.

Chasing a target of 204, Australia faced an early setback, losing their first wicket at 19 runs. Josh Inglis missed his half-century by just 1 run, dismissed for 49 by Shaheen Afridi, while Steve Smith contributed with a solid 44 off 46 balls. However, Australia’s innings wobbled as they went from 113/3 to 139/6, sparking fears of a loss.

Pat Cummins walked in with the score at 155/7, and Australia still needing 49 runs with only three wickets left. Demonstrating his calm under pressure, Cummins played a match-winning, unbeaten knock of 32 off 31 balls, leading his team to victory and securing a memorable win for Australia.