Saim Ayub produced a brilliant all-round display to power Pakistan to a 22-run victory against a largely second-string Australia in the first T20 in Lahore on Friday morning (AEDT).
Electing to bat first against an Australia squad led by makeshift captain Travis Head and including three debutants, Pakistan posted a competitive 8-168 with Ayub (40) top-scoring for them.
Australia managed 8-146 in reply after their No.10 batter Xavier Bartlett produced an unbeaten 34 off 25 balls. All-rounder Cameron Green top-scored with 36.
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Earlier, the Aussies got off to the perfect start when Bartlett held on to a simple return catch to dismiss opener Sahibzada Farhan for a first-ball duck, before Ayub and Pakistan captain Salman Agha (39) steadied their innings with a 74-run stand.
Leg-spinner Adam Zampa (4-24) dismissed both plus the crucial wickets of Babar Azam (24) and Usman Khan (18) to restrict Pakistan, who had looked set for a 175-plus total at one stage.
Ayub continued to trouble Australia when the visitors returned to begin their chase.
The off-spinner dismissed Matthew Short in his first over and landed a bigger blow in his second, when he removed Head (23), who led Australia as regular skipper Mitchell Marsh arrived late after completing his BBL duties.
To make matters worse for the tourists, both Matt Renshaw and Mitchell Owen were run out.
Mohammad Nawaz effectively sealed the match in Pakistan's favour when the left-arm spinner cut short Green's promising knock of 36 in the 13th over.
Bartlett smashed two sixes in his entertaining knock, which merely reduced Australia's margin of defeat.
Speaking to reporters after the match, Zampa said the tricky conditions would only benefit the inexperienced squad.
"It's pretty alien for some of the young guys particularly in the group," Zampa said.
"We've obviously got a very different squad in this series as what we'll have in in the world cup, so a lot more experience comes back then.
"Exposing those guys in the middle order, particularly to conditions like that, it's going to be good for them in the long run."
The remaining two matches of the series, a warm-up event for next month's T20 World Cup, will be played at the same venue on Saturday and Sunday.
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