Pakistan star Kamran Ghulam, who scored a brilliant hundred on his Test debut against England, could not get his ODI career off to a promising start on Monday. As Pakistan took on the mighty Australians in a three-match series, Kamran could score only five runs from six balls in the series opener after being dismissed by opposition skipper Pat Cummins for an unplayable delivery. Kamran tried to tease Cummins on the previous delivery, hoping to upset the Australian skipper, but ended up losing his wicket on the next delivery.
In a video shared by Cricket Australia, Ghulam tried to tease Cummins on the 5th delivery of the 19th over. Cummins eventually smiled at the Pakistani star's antics. On the next delivery, the pacer delivered a beautiful bouncer to which Kamran had no response.
The ball kissed the gloves of the Pakistani batsman and landed in the hands of the wicketkeeper. Here's the video:
Pat Cummins wins the battle #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/zSJWnriUjD
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 4, 2024
On the innings front, Australian pacer Mitchell Starc took 3-33 as Australia dismissed Pakistan at the MCG. Newly appointed skipper Mohammad Rizwan top-scored with 44 for the visitors but they struggled with precision bowling, all out in the 47th over.
Starc made the breakthrough in the third over when Saim Ayub hacked at his stumps and miscued a rising ball in front of a subdued crowd at the cavernous Melbourne Cricket Ground.
That left Babar Azam in trouble, unencumbered by the captaincy after his departure last month.
He upped the pace before Starc struck again, with Abdullah Shafique falling behind for a tame 12 in an excellent opening spell from the speedster.
Azam was in good touch and scored 39 with Rizwan before spinner Adam Zampa entered the fray and broke the partnership, bowling Azam for 37 with his fourth delivery.
A patient Rizwan played himself in before opening the bat and hitting the first six of the day off Starc. But the wickets kept falling.
Salman Agha was cleverly caught on square foot for 12 by Sean Abbott's Matt Short and Rizwan then departed with an attempted sweep from part-time spinner Marnus Labuschagne, caught by Inglis.
Shaheen Shah Afridi hit an entertaining 24, but Starc struck again, rattling his middle stump, before a flurry from the tailenders pushed Pakistan past the 200 mark.
Naseem Shah, who was on nine, added 40, an innings that included four sixes, 20 of which were removed from one Zampa.
With AFP inputs
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