Pakistan beat Australia in T20Is after seven years

Pakistan sealed a 22-run victory over Australia on Thursday in the first of the three-match T20I series, being played as a build-up to next month’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

Pakistan restricted Australia to 146 for eight, after posting 168 for eight at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Pakistan lost their previous seven T20Is with Australia, with their last victory coming in in Dubai 2018.

Saim Ayub produced a brilliant all-round display against a largely second-string Australia. 

Electing to bat first against an Australia squad led by makeshift captain Travis Head and including three debutants, Pakistan posted a competitive total, with Ayub (40) top-scoring for them.

Australia could not cross the 150-mark even after their number 10 batter Xavier Bartlett produced an unbeaten 34 off 25 balls.

Earlier, Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan fell for a first-ball duck but Ayub and Pakistan captain Salman Agha (39) steadied their innings with a 74-run stand.

Australia leg-spinner Adam Zampa (4-24) dismissed both the batters and went on to claim the wickets of Babar Azam (24) and Usman Khan (18) to restrict Pakistan, who had looked set for a 175-plus total at one stage.

Ayub continued to trouble Australia when the visitors returned to begin their chase.

The off-spinner dismissed Matthew Short in his first over and landed a bigger blow in his second, when he removed Head (23), who led Australia as regular skipper Mitchell Marsh arrived late after completing his Big Bash League duties Down Under.

To make matters worse for the tourists, both Matt Renshaw and Mitchell Owen were run out.

Mohammad Nawaz effectively sealed the match in Pakistan's favour when the left-arm spinner cut short Green's promising knock of 36 in the 13th over.

Bartlett smashed two sixes in his entertaining knock, which merely reduced Australia's margin of defeat.

The remaining two matches of the series, a warm-up event for next month's T20 World Cup, will be played at the same venue on Saturday and Sunday.