Australia win first ODI by 2 wickets in three-match series against Pakistan

Australia won the first one-day international against Pakistan in the first of their three-match series on Monday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

Josh Inglis made 49 for the Aussies, while Haris Rauf took three wickets as the green shirts fought back.

Newly appointed skipper Mohammad Rizwan top-scored with 44 for the visitors but they struggled against some precision bowling, all out in the 47th over.

Starc broke through in the third over with Saim Ayub chopping onto his stumps, mistiming a rising ball before a subdued crowd at the cavernous MCG.

That brought Babar Azam to the crease, unburdened by the captaincy after quitting last month.

He upped the tempo before Starc struck again, with Abdullah Shafique caught behind for a tame 12 in a superb opening spell from the speedster.

Azam was in decent touch and put on 39 with Rizwan before spinner Adam Zampa entered the fray and broke the partnership, bowling Azam for 37 with his fourth delivery.

His replacement Kamran Ghulam lasted just six balls, no match for a brutal Cummins bouncer, gloving to wicketkeeper Josh Inglis to leave Pakistan struggling on 70-4 after 19 overs.

A patient Rizwan played himself in before opening the bat, hitting the first six of the day off Starc. But the wickets kept falling.

Salman Agha was smartly taken at square leg for 12 by Matt Short off Sean Abbott and Rizwan then departed attempting a sweep from part-time spinner Marnus Labuschagne, caught by Inglis.

Shaheen Shah Afridi hit an entertaining 24, but Starc again struck, rattling his middle stump, before a flurry from the tailenders pushed Pakistan beyond 200.

Naseem Shah, coming in at nine, added 40, an innings that included four sixes, with 20 taken off one Zampa over.

Australia skipper Pat Cummins won the toss and chose to bowl in the first of a three-match one-day series.

With Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head on paternity leave, world champions Australia have a new-look opening partnership with Jake Fraser-McGurk and Matt Short.

Veteran Josh Hazlewood was rested with Sean Abbott joining Cummins and Mitchell Starc in the hosts’ pace attack on an overcast day.