All-round Saim gives Pakistan victory in first T20 against Australia

Pakistan opener Saim Ayub’s all-round performance helped Green Shirts secure a 22-run victory over Australia in the first T20I of a three-match series at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium Thursday.

Saim Ayub made a 22-ball 40 and then removed both Aussie openers to script the victory for Pakistan.

It has been 2,650 days since Pakistan's last T20I victory over Australia, and there couldn't be a better time to break that streak than right now, in front of a packed Lahore crowd just before the T20 World Cup. However, both teams played only 8 T20Is during this period before today's match where Pakistan ended as a losing side.  

Chasing a target of 169, Australia could manage 148-8 in 20 overs. Australian captain Travis Head looked promising during the chase but his innings was cut short by Saim. He made 23 off 13 balls, hitting two sixes and as many boundaries, before Babar Azam took a comfortable catch at long on off the bowling of Saim.

Cameroon Green made 36 off 31 balls as wickets kept tumbling on the other end and he also had to go when Babar took a well-judged catch at the long off boundary of Muhammad Nawaz.

Xavier Bartlett remained unbeaten for his 34 off 25 balls and Adam Zampa was on 5 off 10 balls when the Aussies exhausted their allocated overs quota.

For Pakistan Abrar Ahmed was quite miser for his 2-10 in four overs. Saim took 2-29 while Shadab Khan and Muhammad Nawaz took one wickets apiece.

Both fast bowlers, Shaheen Afridi and Salman Mirza, returned wicketless.

Earlier, Adam Zampa's four-wicket haul inspired Australia's late comeback to restrict Pakistan to a modest total of 168 in the match.

Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha's decision to bat first backfired as his team's batting unit could accumulate 168/8 in their allotted 20 overs.

The home side got off to the worst possible start to their innings as they lost opener Sahibzada Farhan for a diamond duck.

Following the early stutter, Saim Ayub and captain Agha stabilised the innings by putting together 74 runs for the second wicket.

Zampa broke the crucial partnership on the fourth delivery of the eighth over by dismissing Ayub, who remained the top-scorer for Pakistan with a 22-ball 40, featuring three fours and two sixes.

Agha was then involved in a brief 12-run partnership for the third wicket with Babar Azam until falling victim to Xavier Bartlett in the 10th over and walked back after scoring 39 off 27 deliveries, laced with four sixes and a four.

Babar was then joined by Fakhar Zaman in the middle, and the duo batted cautiously to add 37 runs for the fourth wicket before Zampa struck, dismissing the former, who made 20-ball 24 with the help of one six and a four.

Babar's dismissal followed two more setbacks for Pakistan as Zaman (10) and wicketkeeper batter Usman Khan (10) perished in quick succession, bringing the total down to 149/6 in 17.5 overs.

All-rounder Mohammad Nawaz then added valuable runs at the backend with an unbeaten 15 off 14 deliveries amid Pakistan's disappointing death batting, during which they lost two more wickets.

Adam Zampa spearheaded Australia's bowling attack with economical bowling figures of 4/24 in his four overs, while Bartlett and debutant Mahli Beardman bagged two wickets each.