LIVE Score | PAK vs AUS 1st ODI Today Match Updates: Carey-Inglis Departs, Australia In Spot Of Bother

Australia showed signs of recovery between overs 17 and 20, with Matthew Short and Matt Renshaw stitching together a steady partnership after the early collapse. Short took on Shadab Khan in the 17th over, striking two boundaries to collect 12 runs and ease some pressure on the visitors.

However, Pakistan’s spinners continued to make life difficult. Arafat Minhas extracted sharp turn and bounce from the surface, repeatedly troubling the batters and conceding just three runs in the 18th over. The pitch continued to assist spin, forcing Australia to rely on strike rotation rather than aggressive strokeplay.

Short kept the scoreboard ticking with sensible batting, moving into the 40s, while Renshaw settled in and began finding gaps. Shadab’s second over cost only six runs, and Salman Agha also made an immediate impact with a tidy first over, although Renshaw managed to pick up a boundary through backward point.

At the end of 20 overs, Australia were 97/4, with Matthew Short unbeaten on 46 (54) and Matt Renshaw on 13 (15). Despite the partnership, Pakistan remained in control thanks to their spin trio, with Australia still needing a significant acceleration in the second half of the innings.

Pakistan’s spinners continued to dominate as Abrar Ahmed and Arafat Minhas kept Australia under immense pressure. Short briefly broke the shackles with a boundary off Abrar, but scoring remained difficult against the disciplined spin attack.

The breakthrough came again through Arafat Minhas, who produced a beauty to bowl Cameron Green for a duck. Tossing one up outside off, Minhas got the ball to turn sharply past Green’s defence and crash into the stumps. It was the young spinner’s third wicket of the innings and another major blow for Australia.

Matthew Short continued to hold one end together, rotating the strike and moving into the 30s, while Matt Renshaw looked to settle in after arriving at the crease. However, Pakistan remained firmly in control, conceding just 10 runs across overs 15 and 16.

At the end of 16 overs, Australia were 72/4, with Matthew Short unbeaten on 32 (42) and Matt Renshaw on 3 (3). Arafat Minhas starred with figures of 5-0-24-3, while Abrar Ahmed finished an excellent spell with 5-0-15-1.

Arafat Minas strikes! 

Arafat Minhas turned the game on its head with a sensational over, striking twice in the space of three deliveries. He first trapped Australia captain Josh Inglis LBW for 13 after a failed review, before dismissing Marnus Labuschagne for a duck with another plumb LBW. Australia managed just 2 runs in the over and slipped from 60/1 to 62/3 after 14 overs. Matthew Short remains unbeaten on 25 (35), while Cameron Green is yet to get off the mark. Arafat’s figures now read 4-0-19-2.

Abrar Removes Carey!

Pakistan’s spinners tightened their grip on the game after the Powerplay, slowing Australia’s scoring rate significantly. The breakthrough came in the seventh over when Abrar Ahmed produced a brilliant googly to dismiss Alex Carey for 19, reducing Australia to 34/1.

Josh Inglis joined Matthew Short at the crease, and the pair focused on rebuilding the innings against the spin duo of Abrar Ahmed and Arafat Minhas. While boundaries were hard to come by, Inglis eased the pressure with a classy cover-point boundary off Minhas, while Short found occasional gaps to keep the scoreboard moving.

Abrar was particularly impressive, conceding just 10 runs in his four overs while picking up the crucial wicket of Carey. Pakistan also reviewed an LBW appeal against Short, but UltraEdge confirmed an inside edge, costing them a review. Inglis survived a stumping scare against Abrar as replays showed his back foot had just made it back inside the crease.

Australia managed only 26 runs in seven overs after the wicket, reflecting Pakistan’s disciplined spin bowling and tight fielding. At the end of 13 overs, Australia were 60/1, with Matthew Short unbeaten on 24 (34) and Josh Inglis on 12 (20). The visitors will be aiming to accelerate in the middle overs, while Pakistan will look to build further pressure through their spinners.

Australia skipper Josh Inglis hands Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi a commemorative memento to mark Pakistan’s 1000th ODI appearance.

The players have assembled for the national anthems, with Australia’s anthem set to be played first, followed by Pakistan’s…

The Rawalpindi surface is expected to be a good batting wicket, with the ball coming nicely onto the bat. However, this pitch is slightly drier than usual, which could provide some grip and assistance for spinners, especially in the first innings. Fast bowlers are likely to find success by hitting back-of-a-length areas rather than bowling too full, as the pitch may offer slightly less pace and bounce than a typical Rawalpindi track. Chasing teams have enjoyed success at this venue, winning four of the last five ODIs, with the evening conditions helping the ball skid on better under lights. Overall, it looks like a high-quality ODI surface that should produce a good contest between bat and ball.

Pakistan have gone with three specialist spinners in a spin-friendly track! 

Shaheen Afridi Speaks: We will bowl first. The pitch is a bit slow and low. We were expecting a bit more. The light was not good. We will try to make the most of it and get the most out of it. (1,000th match for Pakistan) Yes, absolutely. It is a special occasion for Pakistan. It’s a happy thing that when Pakistanis represent in ODI, it is a big achievement. So I think it is a special moment for the whole team and we will enjoy it and push for it. Yes, absolutely. We will continue with it. We will build on the momentum and perform consistently.

Pakistan have won the toss and opted to bowl first!

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the 1st ODI match between Pakistan and Australia, all the way from Rawalpindi!