AUSSIES CRUISETO T20WIN
AUSTRALIA’S modern- day Bradman silenced any lingering doubts over his Twenty20 prowess last night, with a match-winning masterclass against Pakistan in Canberra.
Steve Smith’s ever-growing reputation as the second coming of the greatest ever batsman has been based on his Test match heroics, but a scintillating 80 not out off 51 balls offered a timely reminder that he is just as ruthless when the ball is white.
For the first time in Australia’s complete domination of T20 internationals this summer, they lost both openers inside the power play, but the middle-order engine room led by Smith stepped in to engineer another convincing sevenwicket victory.
Pakistan attacked Smith hard, but his counter-attack was ruthless and the batting phenomenon smashed 11 fours and a six to complete the successful chase of 150 with nine balls to spare and put Australia 1-0 up with one final game to go in Perth on Friday.
When Ben McDermott was trapped lbw by Imad Wasim for 21 the door was left slightly ajar for Pakistan with 42 needed off the last 36, before Smith took the game away from them in the final six overs with some clinical stroke play.
McDermott was frustrated that ball tracking was unavailable for his decision review after a human error from the scorer affected the technology.
He looked out anyway and for the first time this summer, Australia felt some pressure after destroyers David Warner (20 off 11) and Aaron Finch (17 off 14) built another platform, but couldn’t go on with the job.
It wasn’t a bad result for Australia though, who for the first time this summer got a proper look at some of their other role players.
Warner had not been dismissed in his four international innings this summer against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, but finally the Bull was tamed.
World class Pakistan quick Mohammad Amir took Warner’s middle stump with a beautiful delivery in the third over that did him for pace
Earlier, it was Warner’s golden arm which lit up Manuka Oval last night.
He raced around and offbalance, picked off Pakistan star Babar Azam with a stunning direct hit in the 16th over that changed the game. Azam, the No.1 batsman in Twenty20 cricket, was out for 50.