Pakistan won the toss and skipper Salman Ali Agha opted to bowl first in an overcast evening at Hobart. Babar Azam and Sahibzada Farhan opened the innings, but Farhan was dismissed early by Spencer Johnson. Despite the setback, Babar and Haseebullah Khan took the score to 58/1 at the end of the powerplay, before Khan fell to Adam Zampa in the seventh over. Usman Khan continued his poor form, dismissed by Aaron Hardie, and skipper Salman made just one run before also departing. Babar’s promising knock of 41 was halted by Zampa, and wickets continued to fall, with Irfan Khan run out in the 14th over and Abbas Afridi dismissed by Hardie. However, Shaheen Afridi showcased his hitting power, including a standout moment when he struck a boundary with a helicopter shot.
On the last ball of the 16th over, Aaron Hardie bowled a full-length delivery on the pads, hitting the middle stump. Afridi cleared his front leg and unleashed a perfect helicopter shot, swinging the bat with precision. The ball rocketed through the leg side, bouncing past the fielders and trickling away between deep mid-wicket and long-on for a four. The 24-year-old looked confident, channelling his inner MS Dhoni as he executed the shot with perfect timing.
🚁#AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/wPxpCu9YZf
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 18, 2024
