Babar Azam once again played a key role for Pakistan in the first ODI against Australia in 2026 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. He scored his 38th ODI half century, coming off 71 balls on a spin friendly pitch, while batting at his usual number three position.
Pakistan won the toss and chose to bowl first. Their decision paid off as young debutant Arafat Minhas produced a historic spell, taking 5 wickets for 32 runs. His performance broke the Australian batting line up and made him the first Pakistani bowler to take a five wicket haul on ODI debut.
Australia were bowled out for 200 runs in 44.1 overs. Matthew Renshaw top scored with 61 runs, while Matthew Short added 55 runs. Other batters struggled against Pakistan’s bowling attack.
In reply, Pakistan also faced early pressure after losing Maaz Sadaqat for 8 and Sahibzada Farhan for 28. Babar Azam then took control of the innings, playing a calm and steady knock to rebuild the chase. He formed important partnerships, including one with Ghazi Ghori, which helped stabilize the innings.
Babar’s innings showed his experience and ability to handle pressure situations. His record against Australia has been strong over the years, with a batting average of 68.60 before this match, including two centuries during the 2022 series.
His half century once again highlighted his importance as a dependable top order batter for Pakistan in ODI cricket.
