Australia Secures Victory Over Pakistan in Rain-Shortened T20I

On a stormy day at the Gabba, Australia delivered a crushing 29-run defeat to Pakistan in a seven-over T20 International (T20I) on November 14, 2024. Heavy rain and lightning delayed the start of the match by nearly three hours, but once the game began, Australia wasted no time asserting dominance.

After winning the toss, Pakistan’s captain Mohammad Rizwan opted to bowl first, aiming to keep Australia’s batting in check. However, Australia came out with a clear goal: hit boundaries from the start. Shaheen Shah Afridi, Pakistan’s star bowler, struggled, conceding 16 runs in his first over as Australia set an aggressive tone. Haris Rauf did well to slow down the scoring momentarily, but Glenn Maxwell, who had a tough time in the previous ODI series, quickly turned things around.

Maxwell unleashed his power with impressive shots, scoring 43 runs off 19 balls. He targeted Afridi and Rauf, notably smashing a six over third man off Afridi and scoring 19 off Rauf’s second over. Although Maxwell was eventually caught by Abbas Afridi, his blitz had already set Australia on a strong path. Tim David and Marcus Stoinis continued the momentum, with Stoinis adding 20 runs in the final over bowled by Naseem Shah. Australia posted a formidable 93 runs in just seven overs.

In response, Pakistan’s chase got off to a shaky start. Although Sahibzada Farhan hit two boundaries from the first two balls, Spencer Johnson dismissed him shortly after, sparking a sudden collapse. In a mere 12 balls, Pakistan lost five wickets for just eight runs. Rizwan was out for a duck after slicing a ball to backward point off Xavier Bartlett, and Usman Khan followed shortly after.

Pakistan’s star batsman Babar Azam also fell early, miscuing a shot that ended in a catch at long-off on Nathan Ellis’ first delivery. Irfan Khan and debutant Salman Ali Agha were dismissed soon after, leaving Pakistan at a dire 24 for six within the first four overs.

While the match seemed all but lost, Haseebullah Khan and Abbas Afridi tried to salvage the innings with a spirited effort, adding 18 runs in the fifth over. But wickets kept tumbling, and Ellis claimed Haseebullah as his third victim. In the final over, Shaheen Afridi managed to hit a six off Adam Zampa, but it was a brief highlight in an otherwise dismal chase. Zampa finished the innings with two wickets off his last two balls, capping Australia’s dominant performance.

With this victory, Australia takes a strong lead in the T20I series, and Pakistan will need to regroup quickly to challenge them in the next match.