SMITH STANDS TALL IN T20 WIN FOR AUSTRALIA
▶ His 80-run knock shades Iftikhar’s cameo of 62 as top-ranked Pakistan still seek a second victory of 2019 after nine matches
Pakistan put up a better effort in the second T20 against Australia in Canberra but the hosts still eased to a seven-wicket win on Tuesday.
Pakistan posted 150-6 batting first, thanks to another composed knock from captain Babar Azam (50) and an explosive 62 not out off only 34 balls from Iftikhar Ahmed at No 6.
That gave Pakistan a competitive total to defend and the bowlers tried their best.
But a majestic 80 not out from Steve Smith ensured the Aussies eventually won with nine balls to spare. Pakistan – still the top-ranked team – have now lost seven out of eight completed T20 matches in 2019.
As was the case in the washed-out Sydney T20, Pakistan’s top order crumbled. Opener Fakhar Zaman (2) was out for his fifth consecutive single-digit score in T20 Internationals, while Haris Sohail was out to the same ugly swipe over the on-side to Kane Richardson for the second match in a row.
It was left to Babar to again to hold the innings together. He scored 50 off 38 balls before a sensational direct hit by David Warner from the deep found him short. At 106-5 after 16 overs, it looked like game, set and match for Australia.
Middle-order batsman Iftikhar is a specialist when it comes to big-hitting in white-ball cricket.
He brought that form to the big stage at last yesterday. He took a particular liking to Richardson, dispatching him for two fours and two sixes in the 19th over to put the spring back in Pakistan’s stride. His knock included five fours and three sixes, injecting some much needed power into his team’s performance.
Iftikhar, 29, also continued a remarkable trend in white-ball matches in 2019.
In six matches in T20s and ODIs, he has an average of 165 and a strike rate of more than 150 as he has not yet been dismissed. Babar will surely promote him up the order in the final T20 which Pakistan must win to avoid a series defeat.
If you are a bowler facing Smith on a decent wicket, good luck. The Australian is in such form that most teams enter the ground hoping to minimise the damage.
Even as Pakistan’s bowlers exerted good pressure on other batsmen, Smith more than made up for it by hitting 11 fours and one six during his knock that took only 51 balls.
Smith’s innings showed that batting in T20 cricket does not have to be all about power – timing the ball and finding the gaps still gets the job done.
After the match, Pakistan captain Babar said the brilliance of Smith took the match away from his team after his own fine effort. “I love the wickets here as the wickets are pretty true. I enjoy batting here. But credit goes to Smith. He took the game away with a magnificent innings,” he said.
The star batsman added that while the rest of the batsmen around him failed, the hitting of Iftikhar was commendable. “We didn’t bat well in the powerplay, Iftikhar gets the credit for the knock he played.”
Australia captain Aaron Finch was pleased after another clinical day at the office. “Very pleasing. We were very good today,” Finch said.
“Getting wickets consistently was pleasing. We also got guys like Steve, who does what he does best. [But] I think at times our execution at the death could have been better.”
Man-of-the-match Smith, however, gave credit to the Australian bowlers for setting up the match.
“Nice to be there until the end and see the boys home. You try to find a way as a batsman and do it to the best of your abilities. I thought the bowlers set it up early. It was probably a 170 wicket, at least.”
Smith showed batting in T20 does not have to be all about power – timing and finding gaps still gets the job done