Australia holds the series lead after an emphatic victory in the opening match of the series. The entire series will take place at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Pakistan vs Australia | Thursday 31 March | Gaddafi Stadium | 12:00
To Win Match
Pakistan 72/100 | Tie 25/1 | Australia 23/20
Pakistan
A hundred from Imam Ul Haq was not enough to get Pakistan over the line as they set out to chase a big score last time out.
Pakistan started well enough and their in-form batters are all near the top of the order, but they would fall off dramatically as wickets kept tumbling with the run rate climbing.
They will have to bowl better to give themselves a chance at getting back into the series and it is unclear if Shaheen Afridi will be fit to play after he missed the opener.
Khushdil Shah proved tough to get away in the first ODI but the other bowlers didn’t really back him up.
Australia
Australia couldn’t have hoped for a better all-round performance with a mixed and matched team.
Travis Head kept Australia ticking throughout and took the pressure off the rest of the top order.
Australia might have liked a bigger finish to their innings but all-rounder Cameron Green did a decent job while wickets fell around him.
With the ball, Australia were helped by another ODI masterclass from Adam Zampa, whose bowling is almost tailor-made for tough chases.
Verdict: Australia 23/20
Australia showed more than enough in the first ODI. The fact that you can get them to win here at 23/20 looks a gift.
