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LAHORE (Pakistan): Travis Head capped a remarkable return to limited cricket with a spirited century before taking two wickets to anchor Australia’s crushing 88-run victory over Pakistan in the first day-night international in Lahore on Tuesday.
Head’s 72-ball 101 guided Australia to a tough 313-7 before the 28-year-old flipped his arm for 2-35 to eliminate Pakistan for 225 in 45.2 overs.
Leg spinner Adam Zampa also played with the ball, taking it 4-38 in ten convincing overs.
The victory gives Australia a 1-0 lead in the three-game series, their tenth successive ODI win against Pakistan since January 2017.
Fly-half Imam-ul-Haq hit a 96-ball 103 bout while skipper Babar Azam made a 72-ball 57 but with an ask rate hovering around 9.5 Australia never doubted the Victoire.
Haq hit six boundaries and three sixes in his eighth one-day international century but was knocked down by pacemaker Nathan Ellis in the 39th with 110 needed on 66 balls.
Haq added 96 with Azam for the second wicket after opener Fakhar Zaman fell for 18 and another 38 with Khushdil Shah (19) for the sixth wicket.
Azam, who hit six bounds in his stroke, became the second fastest hitter to complete 4,000 ODI runs in 82 innings, one more than South African Hashim Amla’s record.
Azam was trapped leg before the wicket by Mitchell Swepson in the 25th before Head dismissed Saud Shakil (three) and Iftikhar Ahmed (three) to shake Pakistan further.
Zampa finished with the wickets of Mohammad Rizwan (ten), Hasan Ali (two), Mohammad Wasim (zero) and Khushdil.
Earlier, Head hit his second one-day international cent and Ben McDermott hit a career-high 55 from 70 balls after Australia were sent to bat by Pakistan at Gaddafi Stadium.
Head, playing his first ODI since November 2018, crossed 12 bounds and three sixes and put in 110 for the opening wicket with skipper Aaron Finch making it 23.
Head took a single Iftikhar spinner to reach triple figures on 70 balls, the fastest ODI century by an Australian against Pakistan.
He broke David Warner’s record of 78 balls in Adelaide in 2017.
With the score of 209-2 in the 33rd, Pakistan fell back with three wickets for only 21 runs in the space of 39 balls, dismissing McDermott, Marnus Labuschagne (25) and Alex Carey (four).
Cameron Green (40 not out), Marcus Stoinis (26) and Sean Abbott (14) helped Australia score 50 in the last five overs and surpass the 300 mark.
Green hit three bounds and a six in his 30-ball shot.
For Pakistan, pacemaker Haris Rauf took 2-44 and debutant Zahid Mahmood finished with 2-59.
Australia, which is already short of key players such as Warner, Steve Smith, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc for multiple reasons, was further impoverished after spinner Ashton Agar tested positive for Covid-19 Tuesday.
The two remaining matches will take place on Thursday and Saturday, also in Lahore.
Head’s 72-ball 101 guided Australia to a tough 313-7 before the 28-year-old flipped his arm for 2-35 to eliminate Pakistan for 225 in 45.2 overs.
Leg spinner Adam Zampa also played with the ball, taking it 4-38 in ten convincing overs.
The victory gives Australia a 1-0 lead in the three-game series, their tenth successive ODI win against Pakistan since January 2017.
Fly-half Imam-ul-Haq hit a 96-ball 103 bout while skipper Babar Azam made a 72-ball 57 but with an ask rate hovering around 9.5 Australia never doubted the Victoire.
Haq hit six boundaries and three sixes in his eighth one-day international century but was knocked down by pacemaker Nathan Ellis in the 39th with 110 needed on 66 balls.
Haq added 96 with Azam for the second wicket after opener Fakhar Zaman fell for 18 and another 38 with Khushdil Shah (19) for the sixth wicket.
Azam, who hit six bounds in his stroke, became the second fastest hitter to complete 4,000 ODI runs in 82 innings, one more than South African Hashim Amla’s record.
Azam was trapped leg before the wicket by Mitchell Swepson in the 25th before Head dismissed Saud Shakil (three) and Iftikhar Ahmed (three) to shake Pakistan further.
Zampa finished with the wickets of Mohammad Rizwan (ten), Hasan Ali (two), Mohammad Wasim (zero) and Khushdil.
Earlier, Head hit his second one-day international cent and Ben McDermott hit a career-high 55 from 70 balls after Australia were sent to bat by Pakistan at Gaddafi Stadium.
Head, playing his first ODI since November 2018, crossed 12 bounds and three sixes and put in 110 for the opening wicket with skipper Aaron Finch making it 23.
Head took a single Iftikhar spinner to reach triple figures on 70 balls, the fastest ODI century by an Australian against Pakistan.
He broke David Warner’s record of 78 balls in Adelaide in 2017.
With the score of 209-2 in the 33rd, Pakistan fell back with three wickets for only 21 runs in the space of 39 balls, dismissing McDermott, Marnus Labuschagne (25) and Alex Carey (four).
Cameron Green (40 not out), Marcus Stoinis (26) and Sean Abbott (14) helped Australia score 50 in the last five overs and surpass the 300 mark.
Green hit three bounds and a six in his 30-ball shot.
For Pakistan, pacemaker Haris Rauf took 2-44 and debutant Zahid Mahmood finished with 2-59.
Australia, which is already short of key players such as Warner, Steve Smith, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc for multiple reasons, was further impoverished after spinner Ashton Agar tested positive for Covid-19 Tuesday.
The two remaining matches will take place on Thursday and Saturday, also in Lahore.
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