There’s always whispers about Mitchell Starc. Mitchell Starc is a lightning rod for opinion in Australian cricket. But the whispers going around at the start of this summer are generating some serious excitement. Mitchell Starc’s off-Broadway seven-wicket Sheffield Shield haul at the MCG two weeks ago had set tongues wagging in both the New South Wales and Victoria dressing rooms.
It was the full Pakistan experience at the MCG, a ground where they have so much great history. They were hopeless, then thrilling, then hopeless, then thrilling. And then Australia won, without much conviction.
But they did what they do thanks to a sizzling spell from Mitchell Starc and yet another nerveless chasing masterclass from the ice-cool captain Pat Cummins in the face of what looked like a match-winning three-wicket haul from Haris Rauf, heroics with bat and ball from Naseem Shah and some crafty captaincy from new skipper Mohammad Rizwan.
Pitch Report and Toss
Pitch Report :– MCG pitch will be good for seam bowling. Pacers will be effective with the new ball, but once the dust settles, batters can score runs in the middle overs. Spinners won’t get any help whatsoever as cloudy conditions will retain the moisture. The average first innings score is 220, with anything above 250 being a part score.
The track at MCG is known for giving both batters and bowlers a fair chance. Pacers will be effective with the new ball, while as the match progresses batters can score runs in the middle overs. The venue is also challenging due to its large boundaries, often making boundary scoring more difficult and requiring batters to rely on singles and doubles. With an average first-inning score of 221, the team will likely bat first at this historic ground.
The pitch for the Sheffield Shield match last month had considerable help for the quicks, and it’s still relatively early season in Melbourne. The forecast is for a cool and an overcast day, but it’s due to stay dry.
The pitch at the Melbourne Cricket Ground is a true one. There is good bounce and movement off the pitch for seam bowlers with the new ball. However, once the pitch settles down, and batters have spent some time on the wicket, there will be plenty of runs on offer. Spinners won’t get much help and will have to look to bowl tight lines. The weather in Melbourne will be partly cloudy and very warm. There is no forecast of rain during the day.
Toss : – Australia skipper Pat Cummins won the toss and chose to bowl first with Mitchell Starc and the skipper himself returning to the fold with new opening pair in Matt Short and Jake Fraser McGurk. Pakistan under new skipper Mohammad Rizwan bowling first has four pacers in the playing XI including Mohammad Hasnain on his return and Kamran Ghulam making his debut in the game.
Mitchell Starc’s 3-fer shines for Australia as Naseem Shah’s quickfire 40 runs carries Pakistan to 203
Pakistan put up a disappointing show with the bat in the first match of the Australian summer to get bowled out for just 203 at the MCG in the opening ODI. Australia were in control right from the outset and if not for Naseem Shah’s entertaining cameo, the visitors wouldn’t have gotten anywhere close to 200.
Mitchell Starc took less than two overs to make an impact with the new ball as debutant Saim Ayub chopped one on to his stumps. The first boundary for Pakistan came only in the sixth over of the innings but Abdullah Shafique was immediately dismissed to add further pressure. Playing their first ODI in nearly a year, Pakistan had to rely once again on Babar Azam and new skipper Mohammad Rizwan to bail them out of trouble.
Babar, struggling for runs in Test cricket, appeared to be at his best again in the 50-over format as he made a great start to his innings with some delightful boundaries. A pull shot against Mitchell Starc saw Babar race to 26 off just 19 balls whereas Rizwan at the other end made a very watchful start, batting on 7 off 25 at one point.
Unfortunately for the visitors, Babar misread the length against Adam Zampa in his first over and saw his off stump get knocked back. That wicket was massive considering Babar was the only batter who appeared to be batting on a different surface compared to the rest.
A snorter from Pat Cummins, who was also playing his first ODI since the World Cup final last year, saw the back of Kamran Ghulam. At 70/4, Pakistan were in desperate need of huge partnerships. Rizwan broke the shackles with a six against Mitchell Starc but Agha Salman mistimed a pull to fall for a scratchy 29-ball 12. The big wicket arrived a few overs later as Marnus Labuschagne came into the attack and immediately removed Rizwan with a googly as the skipper only managed to top edge while attempting a sweep.
Things could have gone completely downhill at 117/6 but Irfan Khan and Shaheen Afridi dragged the innings further with handy contributions before Naseem struck some telling blows towards the end. Having already smacked two sixes, Naseem took on Zampa for two sixes and a four in one to guide Pakistan past the 200-run mark before Cummins brought an end to his enterprising knock.
Earlier, Australia set up the win with the ball. Most of Pakistan’s batters, with the exception of Babar Azam who made a classy 37 off 44, were exposed on a fast and bouncy MCG pitch after being sent in having come straight from the low spinning Test pitches of Multan and Rawalpindi last month. Rizwan top scored with 44 off 71 balls while Naseem made an outstanding 40 off 39 with four sixes from No. 9 to ensure Australia was at least chasing more than 200.
Mitchell Starc and Cummins, fresh and in rhythm ahead of a big summer, put on a show in front of a very pro-Pakistan crowd. Starc’s 140kph thunderbolts accounted for Saim Ayub on debut and Abdullah Shafique.
The pair were opening the batting in ODI cricket for the first time after averaging just 8 as a pair in 12 Test innings together. Their international average dropped to 7.61 when Ayub chopped on trying to drive on the up.
Shafique looked like he was batting in a Test match. He defended, ducked and weaved on his way to 12 from 26 before failing to get his bat out of the way of a rising delivery from Mitchell Starc wide of off as he tried to sway inside it.
Babar and Rizwan settled but never accelerated. Babar looked in fine touch but felt the pinch of the slow-moving scoreboard. He tried to create a scoring option off the back foot to Adam Zampa but picked the wrong length and lost his off stump.
Cummins welcomed Kamran Ghulam to Australia with a brute of a delivery. The whites of his eyes popped as Cummins’ 142.7kph bouncer reared at his throat. He got his hands up in time but could only glove it to Inglis.
Rizwan’s sluggish rearguard began to pick up steam when he hooked Starc into the stands at fine leg. But he fell to Labuschagne trying to sweep a wide legbreak only to get a top edge onto his helmet that popped up to Inglis.
Some late hitting from Naseem, Shaheen Afridi, and Irfan Khan, in the mould of the man who had presented his debut cap in Wasim Akram, lifted Pakistan from a dire position at 117 for 6 to 203.
Naseem and Shaheen showed the type of intent that Pakistan’s top order could have used, launching five sixes between them after the entire top seven had contributed one, before Shaheen was castled by Mitchell Starc for 24 off 19.
Naseem feasted on spin, launching Zampa into the stands twice and Maxwell once. But Naseem also launched Sean Abbott over deep midwicket. He holed out to mid-off to end the innings. Had he batted until the end, it might have been enough.
Pat Cummins sees off fiery Haris Rauf to seal tight win for Australia
Pat Cummins, on his return to ODI cricket post the World Cup final last year, starred with both ball and bat to seal a nervy two-wicket win for Australia over Pakistan. The visitors, playing their first ODI game in almost a year, stuttered with the bat to post just 203 on the board and were on the verge of going down comfortably before Haris Rauf brought them back in style. However, Cummins remained calm towards the end and ensured Australia kickstarted their home summer with a win.
Australia knocked off 18 runs in quick fashion in the run chase. However, Matthew Short mistimed a pull against Shaheen Afridi to give Pakistan an early breakthrough. In the very next over, it was Naseem Shah who removed the other opener as Jake Fraser-McGurk tamely hit one to the fielder at mid-on. Steve Smith and Josh Inglis though were unfazed by that jittery start and fetched a boundary each in the next two overs to calm the nerves down.
Smith continued to bat in fluent fashion as he smashed Mohammad Hasnain for a couple of boundaries before Naseem was picked apart for a six by Inglis. Hasnain was punished in severe fashion by both these batters as Australia were cruising at one stage, scoring at over six an over.
By the end of the 15th over, the result appeared to be a foregone conclusion with the hosts already knocking off 105 runs. However, things changed after the drinks break as a charged up Rauf ripped through the middle order. While he removed Smith, Shaheen managed to get rid of a rampaging Inglis.
In a stunning turnaround, Rauf picked up two wickets in two balls to see the back of Marnus Labuschagne and Glenn Maxwell to stun the home side. Three wickets in the space of five deliveries for no runs changed the course of the game as Australia were now left with the likes of Aaron Hardie, Sean Abbott and Cummins to get the job done.
Pakistan’s hopes were up when Hardie fell with 49 still to get but Cummins drove his first ball for a boundary to gain some confidence immediately. The skipper managed to keep the Pakistan pacers at bay while also bringing down the target in swift fashion. Even though Abbott was run out with 19 still needed, Cummins managed to find the boundary twice from a Rauf over to get Australia closer and eventually over the line.
Fraser-McGurk’s 16 was particularly frantic. But Smith was calm and settled into a stereotypical groove. Any fears on his Test form could well be allayed given how well he handled some excellent fast bowling on a quick pitch. Australia could have been 55 for 3 when Inglis was dropped by Irfan Khan at gully. Naseem got one to rear from a length and catch the edge but Irfan could not hang on flying high to his right.
That looked like it might have been the last chance. Barring an edge between the keeper and wide slip trying to glide a ball, Inglis was imperious. Coach Jason Gillespie’s four years coaching against Inglis in Australian domestic cricket had not translated to his four-pronged pace attack avoiding dropping short to the West Australian. It cost them three sixes and two fours.
After an 85-run stand, Smith made an uncharacteristic error. He slashed a cut off Rauf straight to backward point to be out for 44. Pakistan’s insistence on going short to Inglis paid off when he nailed another pull shot off Shaheen only to see Irfan run a long way to hang on to an outstanding catch in the deep.
Haris Rauf, a Melbourne Stars favorite, then had the Pakistan fans in raptures as he cranked up the speed and Australia lost 3 for 0. Labuschagne top edged to deep third, undone by extra bounce. Maxwell nicked the next ball to Rizwan and Australia were 139 for 6. Aaron Hardie and Abbott steadied briefly but it was fleeting. Hardie fell trying to back away and cut a ball from Mohammad Hasnain that hit the top of middle.
Enter the skipper for another salvage job. It was unconventional as it always is. He was bombed with short balls. But he keep scoring and kept surviving. Abbott was run out when Cummins pushed for a third. But he was there at the end yet again when the winning runs were scored to break the hearts of all those who don’t bleed green and gold.
Presentations and Road Ahead
Pat Cummins the winning Australia skipper said : Tonight we got it done, always much prefer sitting in the changing room. Wonderful match but got a bit tighter than we would have liked. Really happy with the way the guys bowled, Starcy was terrific at the top and the others bowled really well. [on trying 8 bowlers] Trying to keep it interesting, Marnus is always in my ear so he had to have an over, he got one wicket.
With this being an ODI and with the conditions, got plenty of allrounders, might as well use them. For three-quarters we were really good, try and find some partnerships, looking to play aggressively and sometimes it may not work, but think still room to try and find a couple of partnerships.
Mohammad Rizwan the losing Pakistan skipper said : We decided whatever the situation we will fight and show courage. It was good, this kind of match you can’t say anything. It’s difficult to read anything into this game, the result is in God’s hands, but I’m happy with the fight we put up.
I was keeping myself busy with field changes. Will give credit to both teams’ bowlers. We have always seen a lot of support for Pakistan. Haris Rauf bowled very well, what we decided as a bowling group we don’t want to go to the 5th or 6th bowler, try and use the four seamers. The luck was with Australia and that’s why they won.
Mitchell Starc Player of the Match for his 3 wickets said : It’s always nice to start the summer off on a positive note with the group. Powerplay wickets are always nice. Positive effort with the ball and we got the job done. Saw it swing away a bit there and we were sloppy on the field. We lost two many wickets and put pressure on us again. It’s a big summer with the Test series and 5 more white ball games before that.
Cummins it is once again who sees Australia home in a tense chase. Has done that a few times in Test cricket and now does it here at the MCG. After losing the openers cheaply, Australia looked set to win easily when Inglis and Smith were going. Both were in full flow and made batting look easy. Then Rauf came on and turned the game around with a quick spell. He rushed the batters and took three quick wickets to leave Australia reeling.
Shaheen Afridi and Hasnain too chipped in and Australia slipped to 155/7 from 112/2. Then Cummins and Abbott added 30 crucial runs before the latter was run-out. Rizwan brought Rauf back on then for one final spell but Cummins and Mitchell Starc saw it through with a composed partnership. The Australian captain was so cool and helped his side go 1-0 up. Pakistan and Rizwan fought till the end with the latter having a good game as captain, constantly changing the fields and being proactive. Encouraging signs for them going forward.
The 25,831-strong crowd looked sparse in the gargantuan MCG. But it sounded like 100,000, and it felt like it was in Lahore, as Pakistan fans drowned out the locals to help keep their side in the game. But there was only so much they could do, as Pakistan found a way to lose despite being on the brink of one of the great ODI heists.
Chasing just 204 after Mitchell Starc took 3 for 33 from 10 overs, including three maidens, Australia slumped from 139 for 3, after Steven Smith and Josh Inglis were in control, to 155 for 7 on the back of Rauf’s raucous burst. That became 185 for 8 when Sean Abbott was run out, after he had nearly run out Cummins. But skipper held firm, as he had at Edgbaston, Mumbai, Kolkata and Christchurch over the past 18 months.
His 32 not out won’t go down as his most memorable, but it was the equal of any of his best innings in Australian colors. It was vindication too for his decision to have laser eye surgery in the winter to fix his vision, and some extensive batting work in Sydney with Australian batting consultant and well renown coach Trent Woodhill.
Throw him in a pressure situation and see him thrive! Often individuals tend to get cloggy in their minds when the going is seriously tough but this is a man who can filter all that pressure out and still think crystal clear. He only reacts to what’s in front, doesn’t overanalyze and even smiles when the opposition is chirping at him.
The MCG was absolutely electric when he walked 7 down, with 56 more to get. And when he saw a ball with width first ball, he smacked it for four. A lot of times you would see people refraining to hit a boundary in such situations with not many wickets left, but he makes statements that pulls the opposition back to earth and makes them think, hang on, this guy means tough business. He is the iceman of modern-day cricket! Pat Cummins, you beauty!
Fine start to the Australian summer. A cracking game of ODI cricket and we next to head to Adelaide Oval for the 2nd game on 8th of November.