Pak Beat Aus by 5 Wickets in 1st ODI as Arafat Minhas Shines on Debut

RAWALPINDI: A spellbinding debut by 21-year-old left-arm orthodox spinner Arafat Minhas propelled Pakistan to beat Australia by 5 wickets at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. 

The comprehensive win gives the hosts a 1-0 lead in the three-match bilateral series and perfectly celebrates a monumental milestone, marking Pakistan's 1000th One-Day International match in cricket history.

Spin Trap Dismantles the Visitors

Winning the toss under sweltering conditions, Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi elected to bowl first, backing a spin-heavy strategy tailored for a notably dry Pindi surface. The bold tactical decision reaped immediate rewards. Despite a steady start by Australian openers Matthew Short (55 off 76 balls) and Alex Carey, the introduction of mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed shattered the opening stand.What followed was pure, unadulterated history. Debutant Arafat Minhas completely choked out the Australian middle order with masterful variations and impeccable length. Minhas sliced through the lineup to record an astonishing 5 for 32 across his 10 overs, making him the very first Pakistan bowler to claim a five-wicket haul on an ODI debut.

A gritty half-century from Matthew Renshaw, who constructed a career-best 61 off 63 deliveries, briefly steadied the visitors. However, with eight wickets collectively collapsing to slow bowlers, Australia simply had no answer to the relentless spin assault and crumbled to 200 all out in 44.1 overs.

Babar, Ghazi Ghouri Anchor the Chase

Chasing a modest target of 201, Pakistan's reply was clinical, measured, and highly professional. The foundation of the run chase was built by the steady hands of former captain Babar Azam and young first-choice wicketkeeper-batsman Ghazi Ghouri.

Babar anchored the innings with a beautifully disciplined knock of 69 runs off 94 balls, absorbing whatever pressure the Australian bowling attack attempted to mount. At the other end, Ghouri vindicated his selection over veteran alternatives by hitting a pristine, composed 65 runs. The pair systematically milked the Australian spin duo of Tanveer Sangha and Matthew Kuhnemann, wearing down the fielders and dragging Pakistan within striking distance of the finish line.

A Picture-Perfect Finish

Though a couple of quick late wickets provided a brief glimmer of hope for Josh Inglis’ men, the night definitively belonged to the debutant hero. Walking out to the crease to put the finishing touches on his own masterpiece, Arafat Minhas put an exclamation point on the match by launching a massive, soaring six down town off Marnus Labuschagne.

The maximum sealed the match with authority, wrapping up the chase at 202 for 5 in exactly 42.3 overs to trigger raucous celebrations from the Rawalpindi crowd. With a comprehensive all-round performance in the books, the series now shifts to Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium for the second match on June 2, where a shell-shocked Australia must quickly find answers to Pakistan’s spin threat.