Pat Cummins' heroics stop Pakistan upset after concerning middle order collapse
Captain clutch has done it again.
Often the man who produces when Australia needs it most, Pat Cummins pulled his side back from a 4-16 middle order collapse to stop Pakistan pulling off an almighty upset in the first ODI.
Australia won the toss and elected to bowl at the MCG, with Pakistan posting a low total of 203.
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Cummins entered the match during the run chase with his side in dire trouble at 7-155, but the captain kept a calm head to hit the winning runs and finish with 32 not out.
Pat Cummins celebrates hitting the winning runs. Getty
Mitchell Starc was the batter at the other end as Australia chased the total down with two wickets remaining after 33.3 overs.
"Good game of cricket. Pakistan fought hard, Australia they've got a lot of room for improvement but just enough class, particularly from Pat Cummins with the bat, to get Australia over the line," Australian great Mark Waugh said on Fox Cricket.
Pakistan got off to a nightmare start at 2-24 after Saim Ayub and Abdullah Shafique were both dismissed by Mitchell Starc.
A steady flow of wickets kept coming for Australia as Muhammad Rizwan top-scored on 44. Starc had the best figures with 3-33 while Cummins claimed 2-39. Adam Zampa also took two wickets.
Australia was off to its own shaky start at 2-28 as Matt Short and Jake Fraser-McGurk departed early.
Steve Smith and Josh Inglis stabilised the innings with England great Michael Vaughan noting Smith's form provided "ominous signs for the Australian summer".
However, Smith (44) started a collapse at 3-113 with Inglis (49) gone soon after when it was 4-139.
All of a sudden the Australians were 7-155. Haris Rauf was on a hat-trick at one stage when Marnus Labuschagne (16) and Glenn Maxwell (0) were both gone.
Haris Rauf celebrates dismissing Glenn Maxwell. Getty
Cummins and Sean Abbott looked like they'd hit Australia home until the latter had a significant brain fade.
Abbott came back for a third run but was caught dawdling and Shaheen Afridi ran him out with a direct hit.
"There's no urgency there, when you get turned back you've got to have urgency," David Warner said.
"Sloppy ... Sean Abbott was coasting," Waugh added.
Australia held on though with Mitchell Starc awarded the player of the match.
