In a thrilling display of fast bowling, Australian captain Pat Cummins delivered an unplayable bouncer to dismiss Pakistan’s Kamran Ghulam during the first ODI of the three-match series on November 4 at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Ghulam, who batted at No. 5, scored just five runs off six balls before he was caught by wicketkeeper Josh Inglis on the final ball of the 19th over.
Karam Ghulam had attempted to tease Cummins by mimicking Australian batter Steve Smith’s signature antics on the previous delivery, but Cummins responded immediately with a brutal short ball that left Ghulam without an answer. The dismissal was celebrated with intensity by Cummins, and the video quickly gained traction online, going viral after being shared by cricket.com.au.
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At the time of Ghulam’s wicket, Pakistan was struggling at 70 for 4, a position from which they struggled to recover. Karam Ghulam’s inclusion in the ODI team was highly anticipated, especially after his impressive Test debut against England in Multan, where he scored 118 runs filling in for Babar Azam.
Pat Cummins wins the battle 🤫#AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/zSJWnriUjD
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 4, 2024
However, his ODI performance at MCG fell short of expectations, as Cummins and the Australian bowlers dominated the game. Leading the scoring effort for Pakistan was captain Mohammad Rizwan, who played a measured innings of 44 off 71 balls. Tailender Naseem Shah provided a late spark, smashing 40 runs off 39 balls, including four sixes, to push Pakistan to a total of 203 in 46.4 overs.
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Australia’s bowling attack proved lethal, with Mitchell Starc taking three wickets for 33 runs from his 10 overs. Cummins and leg-spinner Adam Zampa also made crucial contributions, each picking up two wickets. Zampa’s scalps included former Pakistan captain Babar Azam, whom he bowled for 37 runs. Babar’s dismissal, clean bowled by Zampa, capped off a challenging innings for Pakistan as they fell short against a dominant Australian side.
