Maxwell’s power-hitting helps Australia secure 29-run win over Pakistan in rain-shortened T20I
The Australians will look to build on this momentum as they head into the second match of the series.
Australia secured a comfortable 29-run victory over Pakistan in a rain-affected, reduced 7-over match on Thursday, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20 series.
Pakistan won the toss and chose to bowl first at the Gabba in Brisbane. Australia's openers came out attacking, with Jack Fraser-McGurk scoring 9 runs off 5 balls and Matthew Short adding 7 runs from 4 balls. However, it was Glenn Maxwell who set the tone for the innings, blasting 43 runs off 19 balls, including several boundaries. His aggressive knock helped Australia reach 66 runs before he was dismissed.
Tim David contributed 10 runs from 8 balls, while Marcus Stoinis finished the innings with a quickfire 21 from 7 balls. Australia managed to score 93/4 in their allotted 7 overs, setting Pakistan a challenging target.
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In reply, Pakistan's batting unravelled quickly. The top order fell apart early, with Pakistan losing 6 wickets for just 24 runs. Their chase looked all but over at that point.
Despite the collapse, Hasibullah Khan and Abbas Afridi showed some resistance. Afridi managed 20 runs from 10 balls, while Shaheen Shah Afridi hit 11 runs from 6 balls in a late cameo. However, it wasn't enough to threaten Australia's total, and Pakistan finished with 64 runs, losing 9 wickets in 7 overs.
Australia's win was confirmed when Adam Zampa claimed two wickets in the final two balls of the match, ensuring Pakistan's defeat by 29 runs.
The result was a comprehensive victory for Australia, who now lead the series 1-0. The win came after a dominant performance with both bat and ball, and the Australians will look to build on this momentum as they head into the second match of the series.
