Australia 204 for 8 (Inglis 49, Smith 44, Cummins 32*, Rauf 3-67) won Pakistan 203 (Rizwan 44, Naseem 40, Starc 3-33, Cummins 2-39) for two wickets
The 25,831 spectators seemed sparse at the gigantic MCG. But it sounded like 100,000, and it felt like they were in Lahore, as the Pakistani fans drowned out the locals to help keep their team in the game. But there was only so much they could do as Pakistan found a way to lose despite being on the verge of one of the great ODI heists.
His 32 not out innings may not be the most memorable, but they were equal to any of his best innings in Australian colours. It was also a vindication of his decision to undergo laser eye surgery in the winter to fix his vision, and extensive batting work in Sydney with Australian batting consultant and renowned coach Trent Woodhill.
Australia’s chase started poorly with the new opening duo of Matt Short and Jake Fraser-McGurk falling inside the first four overs.
Fraser-McGurk’s 16th was particularly frenetic. But Smith was calm and settled into a stereotypical rhythm. Any fears about his Test form could well be allayed given how well he handled some excellent fast bowling off a fast pitch.
Australia could have been 55 for 3 when Irfan Khan dropped Inglis into the gully. Naseem got one to back off a length and reach the edge but Irfan couldn’t hold on flying high to his right.
It seemed like it might have been the last chance. Except for an advantage between the goalkeeper and a slip trying to slide the ball, Inglis was imperious. Coach Jason Gillespie’s four years coaching against Inglis in Australian domestic cricket had not translated into his four-pronged attack to avoid coming up short against Western Australia. It cost them three sixes and two fours.
After an 85-run stand, Smith made an unusual error. He clipped Rauf straight to backward point to be out for 44.
Pakistan’s insistence on getting close to Inglis paid off when he scored another shot from Shaheen only to see Irfan run a long way to latch on to an excellent catch in the deep.
Rauf, a Melbourne Stars favourite, then sent the Pakistan fans into raptures as he picked up speed and Australia lost 3 for 0. Labuschagne cruised to a third place finish, undone by an extra bounce. Maxwell clipped the next ball to Rizwan and Australia were 139 for 6.
Aaron Hardie and Abbott stabilized briefly but it was fleeting. Hardie fell trying to go back and clipped a ball from Mohammad Hasnain that hit the top of mid-off.
Enter the boss for another rescue job. It was unconventional as it always is. He was bombarded with short balls. But he kept scoring and he kept surviving. Abbott ran out of the race as Cummins pushed for a third. But it was there once again at the end, when the winning runs were scored to break the hearts of all those who don’t bleed green and gold.
Starc and Cummins, fresh and in rhythm ahead of a big summer, put on a show in front of a very pro-Pakistan crowd. Starc’s 140 km/h rays accounted for Saim Ayub on his debut and Abdullah Shafique.
The pair were opening the batting in ODI cricket for the first time after averaging just 8 as a pair in 12 Test innings together. His international average dropped to 7.61 when Ayub tried to drive up.
It looked like Shafique was batting in a Test match. He defended, ducked and moved his way to 12 for 26 before failing to get his bat out of the way of a rising delivery from Starc as he tried to swing into it.
Babar and Rizwan calmed down but never accelerated. Babar seemed to have a good touch, but felt the pinch of the slow-moving marker. He tried to create a back-foot scoring option for Adam Zampa but chose the wrong length and lost off-stump.
Cummins welcomed Kamran Ghulam to Australia with a brutal delivery. The whites of his eyes exploded as the 90 mph Cummins goalie surged toward his throat. He raised his hands in time, but could only glove them to Inglis.
Rizwan’s slow rearguard began to gain momentum as he hooked Starc to the stands at fine leg. But he fell to Labuschagne trying to make a wide break only to get a top edge on his helmet that appeared towards Inglis.
Some late knocks from Naseem, Shaheen Afridi and Irfan Khan, in the mold of the man who had made his international debut in Wasim Akram, lifted Pakistan from a hopeless position at 117 for 6 for 203.
Naseem and Shaheen showed the kind of intent Pakistan’s top order could have used, hitting five sixes between them after the top seven had chipped in with one, before Starc castled Shaheen for 24 off 19.
Naseem reveled in the effects, launching Zampa into the stands twice and Maxwell once. But Naseem also threw to Sean Abbott over the middle of the field. He holed out halfway to end the inning. If he had batted till the end, perhaps it would have been enough.
Alex Malcolm is associate editor of Pak Gazette
