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Sports: Pakistan cricket team suffered a heavy 29-run defeat in the opening T20I game against Australia in Brisbane on Thursday. Rain shortened the game to 7-over each side where Australia posted a big total of 93 for 4 while batting first and then bowlers did a great job to restrict Pakistan to a total of 64 for 9.
Mohammad Rizwan-led Pakistani side witnessed an embarrassing collapse while chasing 94 runs in 42 balls at Brisbane Cricket Ground. Pakistan lost their first 5 wickets with just 16 runs on the scoreboard, the lowest team total for Pakistan after losing 5 wickets and the lowest by any team against Australia.
Shahibzada Farhan walked in to open alongside Mohammad Rizwan and started well by hitting two fours off the first two balls of the innings. But Spencer Johnson dismissed Farhan on the fourth delivery and then Pakistan's innings collapsed like a house of cards.
Xavier Bartlett dismissed Rizwan on a two-ball duck in the second over and also removed Usman Khan five deliveries later. The former captain and the star batter Babar Azam fell for just three runs while trying to clear the ropes at the deep mid-on area.
Nathan Ellis and Bartlett picked three wickets each as Pakistan's top-six players failed to reach a double-digit score. Adam Zampa then put Pakistan out of misery by taking two back-to-back wickets on the last two balls of the game.
However, Pakistan managed to avoid the blushes as they escaped West Indies' lowest T20I total of 45 runs (by a full-time member) after some runs from the lower order. The bowling all-rounder Abbas Afridi scored an unbeaten 20 runs in the closing stages as Pakistan avoided being bowled out.
Earlier in the game, Glenn Maxwell, batting at no.3, smashed 43 runs off just 19 balls to hammer Pakistan's star-studded bowling attack. Marcus Stoinis added a quickfire 21* off just 7 balls to help Australia post a big total after being forced to bat first in the series opener.
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