Brisbane [Australia], November 14 : Australia skipper Josh Inglis heaped praise on the Aussie bowlers following a 29-run win over Pakistan in the first T20I match at The Gabba.
Xavier Bartlett and Nathan Ellis led the Australia bowling attack after they picked up three wickets in their respective spells. Adam Zampa bagged two wickets in his one-over spell.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Inglis said that his side did a great job and all the bowlers did well in the game. He added that the early wickets in the second inning helped the hosts.
"Really nice. At times tonight we didn't think we would get a game. We did a great job - nice to get that first win. There's been a lot of noise around that last week (ODI series loss). All the bowlers were great tonight. Helps with Xavier and Spencer playing a lot of T20 cricket at the Gabba. Taking early wickets in short chases is crucial," Inglis said.
Coming to the match, the first T20I at Brisbane was cut short due to rain. Pakistan won the toss and opted to bowl first. Australia posted 93/4 in seven overs, with Maxwell (43 in 19 balls, with five boundaries and three sixes) and Marcus Stoinis (21* in seven balls, with two fours and a six) standing out with the bat.
Abbas Afridi (2/9) was the standout bowler for Pakistan while Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah got a wicket each.
During the run chase, Abbas Afridi (20 runs from 10 balls, 2 fours and 1 six), Haseebullah Khan (12 runs from 8 balls, 1 six and 1 four) and Shaheen Afridi (11 runs from 6 balls, 1 six) were the only top batters for Pakistan, rest no one could show temperament in the second inning.
The Pakistan batters struggled to score runs on the board infront of the Aussie bowling attack. The top and middle order failed miserably.
With the 29-run victory at The Gabba, the Aussies took a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series.