In the ongoing first ODI between Australia and Pakistan at the MCG in Melbourne, Pakistan faced a challenging batting performance, managing to score only 203 runs. The team struggled as wickets fell consistently, with no batter reaching the fifty-run mark. Captain Mohammad Rizwan was the standout performer, scoring 44 runs off 71 balls, including two fours and one six.
However, it was Naseem Shah who captured the spotlight with an impressive batting display. Coming in at No. 9, the right-arm seamer scored 40 runs off 39 balls, hitting four fours and four sixes—more than the combined contributions of his teammates. When Shah stepped onto the pitch, Pakistan was in a precarious position at 148 for 7, looking likely to collapse for a dismal total. Instead, he took charge, attacking the Australian bowlers with confidence.
One of his standout moments came in the 46th over against Adam Zampa, where he launched two sixes and a four, amassing 18 runs in that over. Notably, Shah outperformed other batters, including Babar Azam, who managed only 37 runs off 44 balls and struggled against Zampa before his dismissal.
Despite his impressive performance, Naseem Shah narrowly missed a historic milestone. He needed just 10 more runs to become the first Pakistani batter to score a fifty while batting at No. 9 against Australia. Additionally, achieving that score would have surpassed Wasim Akram’s record for the highest individual score by a Pakistani at that position.
As this article was being written, Australia was 21 for 1, with Shaheen Afridi claiming the first wicket for Pakistan.
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