Travis Head hit a blistering century and leg-spinner Adam Zampa grabbed 4-38 to lift Australia to an 88-run victory over Pakistan in the first ODI on Tuesday.
Head hammered 101 off 72 balls and propelled Australia to impressive 7-313 after they were left with only 13 fit players hours before the start of the three-match series.
Opening batter Imam-ul-Haq made 103 off 93 balls — his eighth ODI hundred — and captain Babar Azam labored for 72 deliveries to get 57 before second-string Australia bowled out Pakistan for 225 in 45.2 overs.
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“Runs at the top against the new ball were going to be crucial and it was nice to play a role,” Head said. “It’s a completely different wicket with a night game. We put on a great total and were able to defend it.”
Imam and Babar struggled to pace the chase in a 96-run second wicket stand before leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson had him trapped leg before wicket in the 25th over.
Babar became the second fastest batter in ODIs to complete 4,000 runs, doing it in 82 innings, behind South African Hashim Amla (81 innings) but never looked to threaten the Australia total as the Pakistan skipper could hit only six boundaries.
Zampa and Head, who picked up 2-35 with his offspin bowling, then ran through the middle and lower order on a wicket which offered plenty of turn to the spinners.
“We started poorly and then gave away too many runs at the death,” Babar said. “When I was batting with Imam, we felt we had the chase under control but then lost wickets in clumps and couldn’t recover.”
Imam hit six boundaries and three sixes before he was clean bowled by debutant fast bowler Nathan Ellis in the 38th over as Zampa wrapped up the tail quickly through his sharp googlies and legspin.
With several leading Australian players being rested for the white-ball series in Pakistan, Ashton Agar was ruled out hours before the toss on Tuesday after testing positive for COVID-19. Josh Inglis had been ruled out Monday when the wicketkeeper-batter was also tested positive.
Head provided Australia a strong platform with his blistering hundred off 70 balls — the left-handed batter’s second ODI century against Pakistan after Babar won the toss and opted to field.
Ben McDermott hit his maiden ODI half-century before he was run out for 55 off 70 balls while attempting a needless run off a misfield, but Head punished Pakistan fast bowlers after successfully overturning an lbw decision off debutant Mohammad Wasim’s fourth delivery.
Australia’s fast emerging new all-rounder Cameron Green provided a late flourish to the innings with an unbeaten 40 off 33 balls as Pakistan hit back after claiming the key wicket of Head at the stroke of halfway mark.
Head had struggled in Australia’s 1-0 historic win in the test series against Pakistan but exhibited an array of shots against Pakistan fast bowlers early on by smashing 10 boundaries off his first 32 deliveries in his first ODI since November 2019.
Captain Aaron Finch struggled to get going during his 23-run knock in a 110-run Head-dominated opening stand with the left-hander playing some fluent drives — especially on the off side of the wicket.
Finch tried to break the shackles and smashed debutant leg-spinner Zahid Mahmood for a big six in his first over before wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan grabbed an edge off Australia skipper on the second attempt to give Mahmood his first ODI wicket.
“We felt we probably needed around the 300 mark,” Finch said. “We’ve come here with a real open mind. To be flexible with the team we select and some different roles that the guys play, so I’m really proud of the way that the guys took on that challenge.”
Head hit 12 fours and three sixes in his fastest ODI century for Australia against Pakistan before holing out at long off while attempting a lofted drive against off-spinner Iftikhar Ahmed.
Pakistan pegged back Australia in the later half of the innings through Haris Rauf (2-44) and Mahmood, who came back strongly after leaking 30 runs off his first three overs and finished with 2-59.