(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) David Warner (53 not out off 39 balls four 4s three 6s) scored more than half of the required total to help Australia beat Pakistan by six wickets.
A big crowd thronged the Dubai International Cricket Stadium to see some fireworks from Pakistani batsmen but that was not to be as Shahid Afridi’s men caved in too easily against the professional Australians.
Saad Nasim making his T20 debut was the top scorer (25 32 balls) as Pakistan managed a paltry 96-9 from 20 overs on Sunday. David Warner (53 not out off 39 balls four 4s three 6s) scored more than half of the required total to help Australia beat Pakistan by six wickets. Australia reached the target in 14 overs and this huge victory could have a great impact on the result of remaining ODI and Tests.
Australians also suffered a minor hiccup when they lost four wickets for 56 runs while chasing the small total.
Raza Hassan took two crucial wickets (Aaron Finch 5 and Glenn Maxwell 17) by giving away only 17 runs. Raza impressed with his bowling and attitude and might be a player on whom Pakistan can bank upon in the absence of Saeed Ajmal.
The youngster also scored 13 important runs and did not panic like his teammates against the Aussies. The leg-spinner from Sialkot has been a consistent performer for last few years at domestic level and this might be time for him to shine on international stage.
Earlier Maxwell (3-0-13-3) popular more for his attacking batting wrecked the Pakistani top order including two wickets in the space of three balls in the third over of the Pakistan innings in this one-off Twenty 20 match.
The Australians were expected to struggle against Pakistan’s spin power but the visitors gave their rivals dose of their own medicine by opening with Maxwell’s innocuous off spin. One of the four Australian debutants Cameron Boyce also spun his right-arm leg spinners well to fox the young Pakistani side. Pakistan lost their first wicket when Zia tried to hit Maxwell out of the ground but holed out at long on to Kane Richardson. Umer Amin came and did not trouble the scorers trying to step out to the third ball he was facing only to give Brad Haddin an easy stumping.
Then Maxwell bowled Sohaib Maqsood through bat and pad as the Pakistani batsman moved awkwardly. Then there was a poor exhibition of reckless shot selection by the Pakistani batsmen as they trooped back to the pavilion without showing even an iota of responsibility. Australian debutant Seam Abott chipped in with a key wicket of Shahid Afridi. The captain’s departure in the 10th over left the team reeling in 46-6 and the tail started.
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