Pakistan began their preparations for the upcoming T20 World Cup with a confident win against Australia in Lahore. The home side won the first T20I of the three-match series by 22 runs on Thursday. The victory gave Pakistan a 1-0 lead and boosted team morale ahead of a busy international season.
The win was important for more than just the series lead. Pakistan ended a long seven-year wait for a T20I victory over Australia. The drought lasted 2,650 days and included seven straight defeats. The result marked a positive moment for Pakistan in T20 Cricket, especially against a strong opponent like Australia.
Saim Ayub played a key role with both bat and ball. He scored a quick 40 runs from 22 balls and later took two crucial wickets. His performance set the tone for Pakistan’s innings and helped control the Australian chase. Ayub also built a valuable 74-run partnership with Salman Agha after Pakistan lost Sahibzada Farhan on the first ball of the match.
Salman Agha supported Ayub well in the middle overs. He scored 39 runs from 27 balls and kept the scoreboard moving. Their partnership gave Pakistan stability after the early setback. Australia tried to slow the scoring through disciplined bowling by Adam Zampa and Xavier Bartlett. However, Pakistan had already built enough momentum.
Some senior players struggled to make an impact. Babar Azam scored 24 runs from 20 balls and looked short of timing. Fakhar Zaman managed only 10 runs from 16 deliveries. Despite these issues, a late cameo from Usman Khan helped Pakistan reach a competitive total of 168 runs.
Australia started the chase aggressively. Captain Travis Head hit a six on the first ball he faced. He scored 23 runs before being dismissed by Saim Ayub. Babar Azam took a safe catch in the deep to end Head’s innings.
A brief partnership between Matt Renshaw and Cameron Green offered some resistance. They added 40 runs together and tried to rebuild the chase. Once the stand was broken, Australia lost wickets quickly. Pakistan’s bowlers maintained pressure and did not allow any recovery.
In other news read more about: Salman Agha Confident Ahead of Australia Series and T20 World Cup
Salman Mirza bowled the final over and sealed the win. Australia finished 22 runs short of the target. The result gave Pakistan a strong start in the series and confidence in their approach to T20 Cricket. It also highlighted the team’s depth and balance ahead of future challenges in T20 Cricket.
