PAK vs AUS: Australia defeats Pakistan by 29 runs in rain-affected first T20I

Glenn Maxwell’s rapid-fire 43 and a disciplined bowling effort handed Australia a comfortable 29-run victory over Pakistan in a rain-shortened first T20I of the three-match series at The Gabba on Thursday.

After a delayed start, the match was reduced to seven overs per side. Pakistan won the toss and opted to field, hoping to restrict the hosts, but Australia’s aggressive approach left them chasing leather from the get-go. Openers Jake Fraser-McGurk and Matthew Short launched the innings with a brisk 16-run start, before Fraser-McGurk was dismissed by Naseem Shah for 9. Maxwell, coming in at No. 3, kept the momentum alive, hammering 43 off 19 balls, including five boundaries and three sixes.

Despite losing Short and Tim David in the latter stages, Australia surged to 93/4, thanks to Marcus Stoinis’ explosive seven-ball 21 in the final over, which Naseem yielded for 20 runs. Mohammad Abbas and Shaheen Shah Afridi shared three wickets between them, but the bowlers struggled to contain the run flow.

In response, Pakistan’s chase faltered early under pressure. A promising start saw them reach 12 runs in the first over, but the wheels quickly came off as Xavier Bartlett triggered a middle-order collapse. Key batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan fell cheaply, reducing Pakistan to a precarious 20/5 by the third over. Bartlett’s fiery spell of 3/13 in two overs left Pakistan reeling, with Nathan Ellis adding to the damage with figures of 3/9.

Only Abbas Afridi’s spirited 20* offered some resistance in the closing overs, but Pakistan could muster only 64/9, falling well short of the 94-run target.

Australia’s commanding performance gives them a 1-0 lead in the series, as Pakistan look to regroup before the second T20I.

Australia Playing XI: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Matt Short, Josh Inglis (c/wk), Glenn Maxwell, Tim David, Marcus Stoinis, Aaron Hardie, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Spencer Johnson

Pakistan Playing XI: Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (c/wk), Sahibzada Farhan, Usman Khan, Salman Agha, Irfan Khan, Abbas Afridi, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haseebullah Khan, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah