March 23, 2014
Brief Scorecard: Pakistan 191 for 5 (Umar Akmal 94) beat Australia 175 (Maxwell 74, Finch 65) by 16 runs
Umar Akmal's 94 set up Pakistan's win © Getty
March 23, 2014
Brief Scorecard: Pakistan 191 for 5 (Umar Akmal 94) beat Australia 175 (Maxwell 74, Finch 65) by 16 runs
Umar Akmal's 94 set up Pakistan's win © Getty
NEW DELHI: Babar, Gul and Afridi took two wickets each as they helped Pakistan register a 16-run victory over Australia in their ICC World Twenty20 match at Sher-e-Bangla stadium on Sunday.
Chasing a massive 192-run target, Australia were bowled out for 175 in 20 overs.
Shahid Afridi dismissed Aussie skipper George Bailey (4) to put Pakistan back in the reckoning as he reduced Australia to 146/4 in 15.1 overs.
Aaron Finch (65) continued to lead the Australian run chase as he reached his fifty off 44 balls, which included two sixes and five fours.
Afridi provided Pakistan a crucial break when he dismissed dangerous Maxwell in the 12th over to reduce Australia to 126/3 in 11.4 overs.
Maxwell slammed six maximums and seven fours in his fiery 33-ball knock.
After losing two wickets in the very first over, Maxwell led the Australian fightback with Finch as he raced to his fifty in 18 balls.
Maxwell slammed five sixes and five fours in his quick-fire half-century off just 18 balls, joint fastest by an Australian batsman with David Warner.
Maxwell was unapologetically explosive as he plundered 30 runs off pacer Bilawal Bhatti in one over.
Along with Aaron Finch, Maxwell took Australia over 100-run mark in just eight overs. The duo also added hundred-run partnership off just 51 balls.
Australia lost Shane Watson (4) and David Warner (4) early in the first over.
Spinner Zulfiqar Babar gave Pakistan a perfect start as his double strikes reduced Australia to 8/2.
Sent in to bat, Umar Akmal (94) missed out on a well-deserved century but powered Pakistan to 191/5.
Umar played a gem of an innings as he plundered Aussie bowlers for four maximums and nine fours in his 54-ball blitzkrieg. Mitchell Starc finally got rid of Umar in the final over but it was too little too late.
All-rounder Shahid Afridi (20 not out) also contributed handsomely in the end as he smacked a six and two fours in his 11-ball cameo.
After losing two early wickets, Akmal brothers added a quick 96 runs for the third wicket to revive the Pakistani innings.
Pacer Nathan Coulter-Nile struck again to dismiss Sohaib Maqsood (5) in the 16th over. Maqsood added 26 runs for the fourth wicket with Umar Akmal.
Coulter-Nile also dismissed Kamran Akmal (31) in the 13th over to break the dangerous partnership between the Akmal brothers and reduced Pakistan to 121/3 in 12.5 overs.
Kamran hit four boundaries in his run-a-ball knock as he played perfect partner to his aggressive younger brother.
Umar was at his aggressive best as he raced to his half-century in just 28 balls, which included three massive sixes and five fours.
The duo took Pakistan over 100-run mark in just 11.2 overs as they hammered Aussie bowlers all round the park.
Sent in to bat, Pakistan lost skipper Mohammad Hafeez (13) and Ahmed Shehzad (5) inside five overs.
Shane Watson clean bowled Hafeez in the fifth over to put Pakistan on the back foot. Pakistan were reduced to 25/2 in 4.2 overs.
Paceman Doug Bollinger gave Australia an early breakthrough when he dismissed Pakistani opener Shehzad to reduce Pakistan to 7/1 in 1.4 overs.
Earlier, Australian skipper George Bailey won the toss and decided to bowl first against Pakistan.
Australia included 43-year-old spinner Brad Hogg for their first match, making him the oldest player to take part in the World Twenty20 competitions since the inaugural event in 2007.
Pakistan made one change from the team that lost to India by seven wickets on Friday, replacing seamer Junaid Khan with 35-year-old left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar.
India, the West Indies and hosts Bangladesh are the other teams in the group, from which the top two will advance to the semifinals.
Teams:
Australia: George Bailey (captain), Nathan Coulter-Nile, Aaron Finch, Brad Haddin, Brad Hodge, Brad Hogg, Doug Bollinger, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, David Warner, Shane Watson.
Pakistan: Mohammad Hafeez (captain), Ahmed Shehzad, Bilawal Bhatti, Kamran Akmal, Saeed Ajmal, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Sohaib Maqsood, Umar Akmal, Umar Gul, Zulfiqar Babar.
Courtesy: PTI
