Australia vs Pakistan, 1st T20I Highlights: Australia beat Pakistan by 29 runs in rain-hit contest

Right then, Australia have taken the crucial lead in this three-match T20I series and it is a quick turnaround for the even more crucial second game which could either see Australia seal the series or Pakistan level it all up. The 2nd T20I will be played on Saturday, 16 November at the S.C.G. in Sydney and will begin at 8 am GMT. You can join us a lot sooner for the build-up as well. Till then, take care and goodbye!

Josh Inglis, the Australian skipper says that it was really satisfying to get the win when at one point it looked like there wouldn't be any game. Adds that it is good to get the first win of the series and will look to get the job done in Sydney. Mentions that the pacers did a great job of taking wickets in the early overs.

Mohammad Rizwan, the captain of Pakistan says that given it was a 7-over game, it was difficult to keep things in check but also goes on to applaud Glenn Maxwell for the way he played and that ended up being the difference in the end.

Glenn Maxwell is the Player of the Match for his quickfire knock of 43 from just 19 balls. Maxwell says that he has had a lot of fun out there and he gets a good opportunity to play and is pretty happy with the job done. Adds that He did play a few games of domestic cricket and that helps in preparing for international. Concludes that he is happy with the overall team performance.

The Presentation ceremony...

Nathan Ellis is now down for a quick chat. Ellis says that he feels absolutely cooked but it is great to be back and is happy to get the win as well. Adds that he was really disappointed to have been injured for a while and just wanted to get out there and play. Ends by joking about his wristwatch and he says that it is a Casio which is unusual but he likes it.

Earlier in the day, there was inclement weather throughout, but the ground staff did well to get the ground ready for a 7-over-a-side game. The Aussies were inserted into bat and they smashed 93 thanks to Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell which they defended easily.

Pakistan needed someone to play a blinder but no batter could get going. Their highest scorer was Abbas Afridi who batted way down the order at number 8 and scored 20 runs off 10 balls but that just saved Pakistan from embarrassment.

Quite a comfortable win for the Aussies! 93 was always going to be tough and it only got tougher as Pakistan lost a lot of wickets at the start. Xavier Bartlett and Nathan Ellis were absolutely brilliant. They took three each and that killed the game. Later on, Adam Zampa picked up a couple of wickets well to round off the game for the hosts.

Adam Zampa to Naseem Shah, OUT! BOWLED 'EM! Adam Zampa goes bang, bang and finishes off the game in style for Australia. Zampa spears another one in right at the stumps, Naseem Shah has to have a swing at it and does so but misses the ball completely and hears the death rattle behind him. Australia win the game by 29 runs!

Adam Zampa to Shaheen Afridi, OUT! TIMBER! Oh, it looked like Shaheen Afridi was stumped at first but he has been bowled. A touch fuller and quicker on middle and leg. Shaheen Afridi skips down the track but is beaten in flight and the ball just turns in to beat the bat and hit the top of the leg stump.

Adam Zampa to Shaheen Afridi, Quicker one, bowled into the pitch and at the stumps, Shaheen Afridi swings across the line again but miscues the ball past square leg for a couple of runs.

Adam Zampa to Shaheen Afridi, SIX! Valiant effort from Nathan Ellis but that was always going over the ropes. Tossed up right in the swinging arc, Shaheen Afridi sits down and slogs it away over deep mid-wicket for a biggie.

Adam Zampa to Shaheen Afridi, Quicker one, dug in short and well outside off, Shaheen Afridi swings across the line and the ball ends up being skewed over backward point. Two taken.

Adam Zampa to Abbas Afridi, Zampa comes in to bowl the final over and starts off with a really full delivery on middle. Abbas Afridi drives it down to long on and turns the strike over.

Nathan Ellis to Abbas Afridi, Slower one, bowled full and darted into the pads. Abbas Afridi misses the flick and the ball cannons off the pads behind square leg for a leg bye.

Nathan Ellis to Abbas Afridi, FOUR! Some clean ball striking from Abbas Afridi here. Back of a length and around off, Afridi clears the front leg and seats it flat and hard back over the bowler's head for a boundary.

Nathan Ellis to Shaheen Afridi, Slightly pitched up at the legs, Shaheen Afridi takes his front leg out and hits it down to long on for one.

Nathan Ellis to Shaheen Afridi, A quick short ball now, dug in wide of the off stump, Shaheen Afridi looks to take it on but is well beaten.

Shaheen Afridi is the next batter in.

Nathan Ellis to Haseebullah Khan, OUT! CAUGHT! Smart bowling from Nathan Ellis and he picks up his third wicket as well. Dug in well short over off and middle, forcing the batter to take on the bigger mid-wicket boundary. Haseebullah Khan waits back and looks o muscle it over deep mid-wicket but doesn't find enough timing and the ball goes straight to Matthew Short who makes no mistake in the deep.

Nathan Ellis to Haseebullah Khan, Pace on this time, a tad short and angled across off, Haseebullah Khan stays put and swings wildly but fails to connect.

Spencer Johnson to Haseebullah Khan, Full and around off, Khan gets across to the off side for the lap but miscues it badly in front of square leg for a single.

Spencer Johnson to Haseebullah Khan, SIX! Uh, oh! Tim David misjudges that one a bit and it ends up being another six. Good length on the stumps, Haseebullah Khan makes room and launches the ball straight up towards the long on fence. David there backtracks and just looks to take the catch but isn't aware of the ropes. He loses his balance and the ball ends up dropping right on the ropes.

Spencer Johnson to Abbas Afridi, Bowled quick and a bit into the pitch over middle and leg, Afridi backs away to pull but gets an inside edge onto the body. The ball rolls to the off side for a run.

Spencer Johnson to Abbas Afridi, FOUR! Skillful from Afridi now! Back of a length and around leg, Afridi walks across to the off side and ramps it fine of short fine leg for a boundary.

Spencer Johnson to Abbas Afridi, SIX! Up, up and away! Pitched up full and outside off, Abbas Afridi gets down on one knee and frees the arms before lifting it high and over wide long off for a biggie.

Spencer Johnson to Abbas Afridi, Johnson comes back in and starts off with a slower one, bowling it very full and wide outside off. Afridi leaves it alone for a wide which is not given, very close call.

Xavier Bartlett to Abbas Afridi, Banged in short at the body, Afridi gets inside the line and manages to pull it away down to deep backward square leg for a single.

Xavier Bartlett to Haseebullah Khan, Full and outside off, almost in the blockhole, Khan hangs deep and drills it down to long on for just another single.

Xavier Bartlett to Abbas Afridi, Pitched up at the legs, Abbas Afridi whips it away with good timing towards deep mid-wicket and picks up a single.

Xavier Bartlett to Abbas Afridi, Hard length angled in at the body, Abbas Afridi stays put and hits it hard past wide mid on for a couple of runs.

Abbas Afridi is the new batter in.

Xavier Bartlett to Salman Agha, OUT! TAKEN! Xavier Bartlett with his third wicket and Pakistan folding like a house of cards now. A well-directed short ball around middle, right around the helmet. Salman Agha tries to get inside the line and pull but is hurried and the ball lobs up off the top edge and wide of Adam Zampa at short fine leg. The keeper, Josh Inglis calls it early and runs across to take the catch.

Xavier Bartlett to Salman Agha, FOUR! Oh, that is some shot from Salman Agha! This is dug in a bit short and around off, Salman gets across a touch and slices it high and over covers off the full face of the bat for a boundary.

Nathan Ellis to Haseebullah Khan, FOUR! The boundary off the last ball spills a double-wicket maiden but Nathan Ellis won't mind that much. Full and wide outside off, Haseebullah Khan stays put and just slaps the ball away square through cover-point for a boundary.

Nathan Ellis to Haseebullah Khan, Another one that is banged in slow and short, this time outside off, Khan goes hard at it but fails to connect again.

Nathan Ellis to Haseebullah Khan, Well bowled! Slower bumper over leg, right around the front shoulder. Haseebullah Khan looks to pull fine but misses.

Haseebullah Khan is the new batter in.

Nathan Ellis to Irfan Khan, OUT! CAUGHT! Another one bites the dust and Pakistan have lost three wickets in the last four deliveries. Ellis bangs it in a bit short over middle and Irfan Khan just gets in an awkward position looking to pull. Khan only manages to scoop it up over wide mid on and it is Jake Fraser-McGurk yet again who comes in from the deep and takes a comfortable catch.

Nathan Ellis to Irfan Khan, BEATEN! A touch slower and fuller on off, this one seams away as well and Irfan Khan is beaten all ends up.

Irfan Khan is in next.

Nathan Ellis to Babar Azam, OUT! CAUGHT! Ellis now picks up a wicket on his first ball and it is a big one as well. Ellis hops in and pitches the ball up on middle and leg, Babar Azam hangs deep and makes room to go big over deep mid-wicket but it is a huge boundary there. Jake Fraser-McGurk sets himself at cow corner and picks up another catch as Pakistan lose their fourth wicket.

Salman Agha is in next for Pakistan. Also, Nathan Ellis comes on to bowl now.

Xavier Bartlett to Usman Khan, OUT! Taken! Two in the over for Xavier Bartlett! Top class stuff from him. Outside off. Khan looks to go over covers. He had to reach out for it. It goes more off the outer half to deep third and it is taken by Matthew Short. 

Xavier Bartlett to Usman Khan, FOUR! That's a really good shot. Not an easy shot to play! Length and on off. Khan gives himself room and just lofts it over mid off and it goes to the fence. They need a lot more of these. 

Xavier Bartlett to Usman Khan, Yet another dot! Dots are something they can't afford! Short and on the body. Khan pulls but it goes off the splice and on the bounce to mid-wicket. 

Xavier Bartlett to Usman Khan, Another swing but no connection. He's just blindly swinging here! On middle. Shortish. Khan looks to go over the leg side but misses. 

Xavier Bartlett to Usman Khan, That's a blind swing! Angled into the body. Khan looks to go big on the leg side but misses. 

Usman Khan is the new batter in.