AUS vs PAK 2024/25, AUS vs PAK 1st ODI Match Report, November 4, 2024

Australia Batting 204 for 8 (Inglis 49, Smith 44, Cummins 32*, Rauf 3-67). Pakistan 203 (Rizwan 44, Naseem 40, Starc 3-33, Cummins 2-39) by two wickets

The 25,831-strong crowd seemed sparse in the gigantic MCG. But it sounded like 100,000 and it felt like it had been in Lahore as the Pakistan fans drowned out the locals to keep their team in the game. But they couldn't do much as Pakistan found a way to lose despite being on the verge of one of the great ODI robberies.

His 32 not outs will not go down as his most memorable, but it was equal to any of his best innings in Australian colours. It also vindicated his decision to undergo laser eye surgery over the winter to improve his vision and extensive batting work in Sydney with Australian batting consultant and renowned coach Trent Woodhill.

Australia's chase started poorly with new opening duo Matt Short and Jake Fraser-McGurk both failing within the first four overs.

Fraser-McGurk's 16 was particularly hectic. But Smith remained calm and fell into a stereotypical rhythm. Any fears about his Test form may well be allayed given his mastery of superb fast bowling on a fast pitch.

Australia could have been 55 for 3 when Inglis was dropped at gully by Irfan Khan. Naseem made it back from a long distance and caught the edge, but Irfan couldn't keep himself from flying high to the right.

It seemed like it was the last chance. Inglis was confident as he fended off an edge between the keeper and a wide slip trying to slip a ball through. The four years that coach Jason Gillespie spent coaching against Inglis in Australian domestic cricket did not result in him being unable to fall behind the West Australian with his four-tier pace attack. It cost them three sixes and two fours.

After an 85-run stand, Smith committed an uncharacteristic error. He hit a cut-off from Rauf straight to the back point and was eliminated with 44 points.

Pakistan's insistence on missing Inglis paid off as he gave Shaheen another pull shot, only to see Irfan run wide to keep a superb catch in the deep.

Rauf, a Melbourne Stars favorite, then sent Pakistan fans into raptures as he upped the tempo and Australia lost 3-0. Labuschagne placed the top edge into the deep third, which was canceled out by an additional jump. Maxwell nodded the next ball to Rizwan and Australia were 139 for 6.

Aaron Hardie and Abbott stabilized briefly, but it was fleeting. Hardie fell while trying to pull back and clipped a ball from Mohammad Hasnain that landed at top middle.

Enter the captain for another salvage mission. It was unconventional as always. He was bombarded with short balls. But he kept scoring and kept surviving. Abbott was thrown out as Cummins pushed for a third place finish. But he was there again at the end when the winning runs were counted to break the hearts of all those who don't bleed green and gold.

Starc and Cummins, fresh and in rhythm before a big summer, put on a show to a very pro-Pakistan crowd. Starc's lightning speeds of 140km/h were accounted for by Saim Ayub on debut and Abdullah Shafique.

The pair opened batting in ODI cricket for the first time, having averaged just 8 in 12 Test innings together as a pair. Their international average dropped to 7.61 as Ayub faded in an attempt to move further up the pitch.

Shafique looked like he was batting in a Test match. He defended, ducked and weaved his way from 26 to 12 before failing to get his bat out of the way when Starc put a rising ball wide as he tried to wobble in it.

Babar and Rizwan settled down but never accelerated. Babar looked impeccable but felt the pinch of the slow-moving scoreboard. He tried to give Adam Zampa a scoring opportunity off the back foot but chose the wrong length and lost his off-stump.

Cummins welcomed Kamran Ghulam to Australia with a brutal performance. The whites of his eyes popped as Cummins' 90 mph bouncer slammed into his throat. He managed to raise his hands in time, but could only attempt a mitt against Inglis.

Rizwan's sluggish rearguard picked up pace when he hooked Starc into the stands at good leg. But he crashed into Labuschagne as he tried to avoid a wide leg break, only to hit the top of his helmet which bounced up towards Inglis.

Some late strikes from Naseem, Shaheen Afridi and Irfan Khan, in keeping with the example of the man who won his first international match in Wasim Akram, took Pakistan to 117, 6 for 203.

Naseem and Shaheen showed the kind of intent the Pakistan top order could have used, launching five sixes between them after the entire top seven had contributed one, before Shaheen was castled by Starc for 24 off 19.

Naseem enjoyed the spin, hurling Zampa twice and Maxwell once into the stands. But Naseem also bowled Sean Abbott over deep midwicket. He singled until midway through the game to end the inning. If he had fought until the end, it might have been enough.