Pakistan will be ruing their batting effort. They didn't play out their 50 overs and were bundled out for 203 runs in the 47th over. But they made Australia work hard and one feels, a score of 250 would've made the difference.
Game done and dusted. Pat Cummins has delivered a special performance leading from the front with the bat!!! Pakistan were favourites at one stage but Cummins has played a really good hand to help Australia win by two wickets.
Cummins has smashed a four to level the scores!!!
Pat Cummins is standing between Pakistan and victory. 5 runs needed and two wickets
Pat Cummins scored 11 runs off the best bowler of Pakistan to bring the equation down to just 8 runs. Can Naseem Shah strike now?
Wow!!! This match is refusing to relent in terms of excitement. Shaheen Afridi's direct hit has caught Sean Abbott short and Australia are 8 down. The hosts are 185/8 and they are 19 runs away. Can Pakistan wrap the innings now?
Australia still need 29 runs and they have three wickets in hand. This match is hanging in the balance. Can Pakistan get Cummins?
Well, well!!! Mohammad Hasnain strikes now and Australia are unravelling. Possibly the last recognised batter was Aaron Hardie and he has played a pretty poor shot to open the door for Pakistan. They are 155/7 and still need 49 runs to win.
Aaron Hardie and Sean Abbott have calmed the nerves a bit here!! But they still need 51 runs to win!! Haris Rauf will need some support from the other end.
Wowowow!! Wickets are tumbling here at the MCG. Haris Rauf has dismissed Labuschagne and Maxwell off successive deliveries and Pakistan are back in this game!! Australia are 143/6 now and need 61 more runs.
Josh Inglis, the set batter has gone now. Shaheen Afridi was hit for a six after Irfan Khan's last point of contact was with the boundary. However, Irfan made sure that he grabbed it this time. The game is starting to get interesting.
And the wicket is finally here! With Australians attacking Haris Rauf from the outset, something had to give and Steve Smith has hit straight to the backward point fielder. Rauf has his man and Australia have lost their third wicket.
Australia have gone past 100 with both Steve Smith and Josh Inglish looking dangerous. The last two overs have yielded 27 runs and Australia are really looking to finish this off in a jiffy.
Pakistan bowlers bowled probing lengths but Steve Smith and Josh Inglis were able to play out the tough period and attacked whenever the opportunity arose.
Pakistan have started off well with the ball. They have removed both openers - Matt Short and Jake Fraser-McGurk. Australia are 42/2 after 6 overs. A couple more wickets here will really make things interesting. Meanwhile, Australia have Steve Smith and Josh Inglis in the middle. Can they stitch a partnership?
Pakistan have been bundled out for 203 runs in the 47th over! Naseem Shah's 40-run knock has lent some responsibility to the total. Can they defend this total? They will need early wickets and Australia are certain to come out all guns blazing with the bat
Shaheen Afridi got a couple of big blows from out of the middle but Mitchell Starc has hammered his middle pole and Pakistan are seven down now.
Another one for Australia! Pakistan are not able to build partnerships and this one might just end their hopes of getting to 200. Skipper Mohammad Rizwan after fighting out for 71 deliveries, got a top-edge of Marnus Labuschagne and Pakistan are six down.
Sean Abbott bowled a short one to Agha Salman, who couldn't keep it down and hit it straight to the short square-leg fielder. Matt Short timed his jump to perfection and Pakistan have lost half their side.
Skipper Mohammad Rizwan is prodding his way towards a decent-ish score himself but the scoring has remained slow for Pakistan. Rizwan will be hoping to get going now as Pakistan won't get away by just fighting. They have to try to get to 240-250.
That was a snorter! Pat Cummins came up with an absolute unplayable delivery as Kamran Ghulam, who began with a bang, a quality straight drive off Zampa, could only see the ball kissing his gloves on the way to the keeper. Pakistan are four down now.
A lapse in concentration for Babar Azam and here is the big one for Australia. Babar played for the turn but the Adam Zampa delivery stayed straight and low and shattered his off-stump. It was a good knock while it lasted, however, both Pakistan and Babar would have wanted it to continue for a long time.
PAK - 67/3 (18 overs)
Returning to the national side after more than three weeks, Babar Azam has begun well hitting a couple of great shots on the off side. Pakistan are 35/2 after 10 overs with Mohammad Rizwan just getting used to the pace of the pitch while Babar being the senior statesman, comfortable so far.
It hasn't been a good start for Pakistan as Abdullah Shafique goes now. Shafique was trying to leave this delivery outside the off-stump but was probably late in dropping his hands. An edge and straight to the keeper. Pakistan are two down for not a lot.
Saim Ayub has got the worst dream for a debutant bowling at him - Starc and Cummins - from either end and the former has struck. A length delivery, just moved away a touch and Saim Ayub has chopped it onto his stumps. Pakistan lose the first one.
Pakistan openers Saim Ayub and Abdullah Shafique are in the middle and Pakistan will aim for a good start with the bat after losing the toss.
Playing XI: Abdullah Shafique, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan(w/c), Kamran Ghulam, Agha Salman, Irfan Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain
Playing XI: Matthew Short, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Steven Smith, Josh Inglis(w), Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Aaron Hardie, Pat Cummins(c), Sean Abbott, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa
Australian skipper Pat Cummins won the toss and opted to field. It's a fresh wicket at the start of the Australian summer but Cummins was confident of his team being comfortable in having a target in front of them while putting Pakistan in front.
Pakistan will begin a new era in white-ball cricket with Mohammad Rizwan as the new captain. Pakistan have picked a young team with an eye on the 2027 World Cup and even though Australia start as favourites, the visitors will be keen to have a good performance in the series opener.
Most of the Australian players are coming off playing some 50-over cricket in the One-Day Cup. After missing the England tour, Cummins is back and Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne and Mitchell Starc all will be in action. Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head are the only two names missing, as both of them are on their respective paternity leaves.
The Australian men's summer is here! It is going to be a big summer with the Pakistan white-ball series, five Test matches against India and the Big Bash League. First up, it's the ODIs against Pakistan at the G with regular skipper Pat Cummins back and Pakistan welcoming back their superstar trio of Babar Azam, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi. Welcome to our live coverage of the AUS vs PAK 1st ODI from Melbourne-
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