Arafat Minhas made history by becoming the first Pakistan bowler to claim a five-wicket haul on ODI debut as Pakistan defeated Australia by five wickets in the opening ODI in Rawalpindi.
The left-arm spinner returned impressive figures of 5-32 to help bowl Australia out for 200 in 44.1 overs. Chasing the target, Babar Azam anchored the innings with 69, while debutant Ghazi Ghori impressed with 65 in a crucial 127-run partnership. Australia’s Matthew Renshaw (61) and Matthew Short (55) offered resistance, but Pakistan’s spinners dominated on a dry surface.
The victory in Pakistan’s 1,000th ODI gave the hosts a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.