At Gabba, Glenn Maxwell caused chaos in the first Twenty20 International match against Pakistan as the rain forced the match to be shortened to seven overs each side. Maxwell wasted no time in getting to work, starting with the first ball he encountered. In the second over, the flashy batsman began with a reverse sweep against Naseem Shah, but it was his six against Shaheen Afridi that left the crowd in disbelief.
Glenn Maxwell hit the Pakistani pacer with a brilliant six over third-man in the game’s fourth over after he reverse-swept him.
Maxwell properly timed the former captain’s delivery to penalise it for being short of length. As the all-rounder hit the maximum with an incredible stroke, the bowler had no choice but to do nothing.
#Australia‘s #GlennMaxwell was on🔝form against #Pakistan in the 1st T20I! 🔥
Each shot to the boundary line was just amazing to witness! 🤩
📺 Catch the action #AUSvPAKonStar 👉 #Australia 🆚 #Pakistan 2nd T20I, SAT, NOV 16, at 1:30 PM only on Star Sports 1 HD! pic.twitter.com/b2OIsB4hiB
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) November 14, 2024
Notably, Matthew Short and Jake Fraser-McGurk, Australia’s openers, were unable to leave an impression. Following the game’s shortening, Australia needed someone to step up, and Maxwell achieved just that with a commanding 43 runs off 19 deliveries. Before Abbas Afridi beat him, he smashed three maximums and five boundaries.
Marcus Stoinis, an all-rounder, made a significant appearance as well, scoring 21 runs off of seven deliveries. Australia scored 93 runs in the first innings thanks to their powerful batting.
In contrast, Pakistan’s bowlers appeared unsure when facing Maxwell and Stoinis. Maxwell’s wicket came a bit too late, but they were still able to take wickets at regular intervals. Shaheen gave up 25 runs in two overs, while young Naseem ended up leaking 37.
Also Read: ‘Above my pay grade’ – Josh Inglis on tight schedule, player unavailability for Pakistan T20Is
The visitors will need to play a more aggressive style of cricket, but lately, that has been their main issue. To complete the task, the seniors will need to assume accountability and perform successfully.
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