Travis Head’s century and two-wicket haul helped visitors register a comprehensive 88-run victory here at the Gadaffi stadium to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series. Chasing a massive 314-run target Pakistan team needed a flying start like Australia but they lost the wicket of opener Fakhar Zaman for 18 by Sean Abbott caught by Travis Head for 18. Imam-ul-Haq and Babar Azam then struck a partnership to take the Pakistan team’s total beyond the 50-run mark in 9.5 overs. The duo also went on to add 50-runs for the second wicket.
Hosts Pakistan reached the triple-figure mark in the 21st over and skipper Babar Azam also went on to score his half-century. The 96-run stand was finally broken as debutant leg-break bowler Mitchell Swepson dimissed Pakistan captain for 57 from 72 balls.
From there on hosts kept on losing wickets at regular intervals as Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed were dismissed cheaply. Imam-ul-Haq was the only batter to keep fighting as he scored a brilliant ton hitting six fours and three sixes.
Adam Zampa bagged four wickets for 35 runs in his 10 overs and Travis Head chipped in with two wickets to have a memorable day with both bat and ball. Debutant Swepson and Nathan Ellis took two wickets and one wicket respectively to bowl out Pakistan for 225 in 45.2 overs. Put into bat Australia got off to a flying start as captain Aaron Finch played second fiddle and Travis Head batted aggressively to take the team’s total beyond the 50-run mark in 6.2 overs.
Travis Head was dealing in boundaries notched up his half-century in just 32 balls. The Aussies reached the triple-figure mark in 13.3 overs. The opening partnership was finally broken when leg-break bowler Zahid Mahmood dimissed captain Finch for 23 from 26 balls caught behind by wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan as Australia lost their opening wicket for 110. Ben McDermott joined Head and they both batted to take Australia’s total beyond the 150-run mark in 21.5 overs. Head- McDermott duo also notched up a 50-run partnership. Travis Head went on to score a brilliant century off just 70 balls. The 61-run partnership was broken as Head was dismissed by right-arm off-break bowler Iftikhar Ahmed got the big fish Head for 101 from 72 balls to leave Australia at 171/2.
Ben McDermott and Marnus Labuschagne took the visitor’s total beyond the 200-run mark in 31 overs. McDermott managed to score his half-century off 63 balls. Just when it seemed that McDermott would run away with the game the wicket-keeper batter was run out against the run of play at 209/3. Pakistan made comeback from there getting wickets of Labuschagne and Alex Carey in quick succession as Australia lost half of its side for 230. Marcus Stoinis and Cameron Green took the Aussie team total beyond the 250-run mark. Green was more aggressive than the two as visitors looked set for a total in excess of 300.
The 47-run partnership between Stoinis and Green was broken by Haris Rauf as he cleaned up Stoinis for 26 to leave Australia at 277 for 6. Rauf got his second wicket when he dismissed Sean Abbott for 14 from nine balls. Green helped the visitors reach the 300-run mark in 49.1 overs and went on to score a huge total of 313 in 50 overs. Cameron Green was unbeaten on 40 off just 30 balls hitting three boundaries and one six.