Skipper Pat Cummins kept his cool under pressure with a gritty unbeaten 32 to steer Australia to a nervy two wicket defeat of Pakistan in the first of three one-day internationals on Monday. Chasing 204, they reached the target with 99 balls to spare at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, surviving a huge scare when they lost three wickets in five balls.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"Wonderful match but it got a little tighter than I would have liked it there," said Cummins.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
With Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head on paternity leave, the world champions had a new-look opening partnership in Jake Fraser-McGurk and Matt Short.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
But Short lasted just four balls before top-edging to Saim Ayub off Shaheen Shah Afridi while Fraser-McGurk's luck ran out on 16, slapping Naseem Shah to Irfan Khan at mid-on.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The experienced Steve Smith steadied the ship alongside Josh Inglis.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
They put on 85 for the third wicket before Smith was undone by Haris Rauf on 44, well caught by Ayub at backward point.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Inglis followed for 49 soon after going for a big hit off Afridi, taken by Khan on his knees.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
And when Rauf removed Marnus Labuschagne (16) three balls later, then Glenn Maxwell for a golden duck, Australia were suddenly 139-6 and it was game on.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Mohammad Hasnain bowled Aaron Hardie (10) and Sean Abbott (13) was guilty of a lazy run out, leaving the hosts needing 19 runs and two wickets left, with Cummins and Mitchell Starc (two) seeing them home.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"Really happy with how the guys bowled, everyone played their roles beautifully," Cummins added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"Obviously we need to try and find some partnerships (in the batting)."<\/p>\r\n\r\n
- Fight -<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n Earlier, Starc took 3-33 Pakistan were dismissed for 203. Newly appointed skipper Mohammad Rizwan top-scored with 44 but they struggled against some precision bowling, all out in the 47th over after Australia won the toss and sent them in.<\/p>\r\n\r\n "We need to play teams like that," said Rizwan. "We decided whatever the situation we will fight and show courage.<\/p>\r\n\r\n "The luck was with Australia and that's why they won."<\/p>\r\n\r\n In Pakistan's first 50-over game since last year's World Cup, Starc broke through in the third over with Ayub chopping onto his stumps.<\/p>\r\n\r\n That brought Babar Azam to the crease, unburdened by the captaincy after quitting last month.<\/p>\r\n\r\n He upped the tempo before Starc struck again, with Abdullah Shafique caught behind for a tame 12.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Azam put on 39 with Rizwan before spinner Adam Zampa entered the fray and broke the partnership, bowling Azam for 37 with his fourth delivery.<\/p>\r\n\r\n His replacement Kamran Ghulam lasted just six balls, no match for a brutal Cummins bouncer, gloving to wicketkeeper Inglis to leave Pakistan struggling on 70-4 after 19 overs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n A patient Rizwan played himself in, but the wickets kept falling.<\/p>\r\n\r\n Salman Agha was smartly taken at square leg for 12 by Short off Abbott and Rizwan then departed attempting a sweep from part-time spinner Labuschagne.<\/p>\r\n\r\n