PAK Win by 22 Runs | Pakistan vs Australia Highlights of 1st T20I 2026: AUS 146/8 in 20 Overs (Target 169)

Pakistan Win by 22 Runs! That's it, the hosts go one up in the three-match series. A fine comeback by Pakistan, at one stage it looked like 168 was not enough but spinners pulled it back with some good fielding effort as well. Two wickets each for Saim Ayub and Abrar Ahmed. Cameron Green was top scorer for Australia with 36 while Xavier Bartlett chipped in with unbeaten 34 towards the end. These two sides now meet in the second T20I on Saturday, January 31.

Down to last over and Australia need 32 runs to win. Xavier Bartlett smashed  Shaheen Afridi for six, but it is too little and late of course. Salman Mirza to bowl the last over.

Australia now need 49 runs to win from 18 balls and have just two wickets in hand. Pakistan spinners have dominated the game and share six wickets between them so far.

Pakistan are back in the contest and how! Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan pick a wicket each as they lead Pakistan turnaround. Cameron Green and Jack Edwards are the two batsmen dismissed.

Unlucky for Mitchell Owen as he is run out. Cameroon Green hits is straight down the ground but Nawaz, the bowler, gets his fingers to it. Owen was backing up too far and finds himself out of the crease. A lucky breakthrough for Pakistan.

First over after the Powerplay and Pakistan are back in the game. First Matt Renshaw was runout and then after a few balls Abrar Ahmed cleaned up Cooper Connolly. 

End of powerplay overs and Australia have begun well despite losing two wickets. Matthew Short was the first one to go and then Travis Head followed him. Both the Aussie openers fell to Saim Ayub.

So Pakistan finish with 168/8 in 20 overs. At one stage it looked like they will get close to 200-run mark but that wasn't the case in the end. The Green Shirts kept losing wickets after a brisk start with Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman failing to take the score forward. Adam Zampa was star with the ball for Australia as he scalped 4/24. 

OUT! Pakistan have now lost half the side. Safe to say the host are losing the momentum here. Fakhar Zaman was struggling and he perishes in the process to break the shackles. He is caught long-on. F Zaman c Cameron Green b Xavier Bartlett 10(16) 

OUT! Big blow for Pakistan. Adam Zampa traps Babar Azam in front of the wickets. Babar opts for reverse sweep, misses the line of the ball and is trapped in front of the wickets. Umpire gave that not out at first but Australia opt for DRS and turn it in their favour. Adam Zampa has third! B Azam lbw b Adam Zampa 24(20)

Both Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman are rotating the strike with occasional boundary coming their way. With seven overs to go now, Pakistan will be eyeing to up the ante now. Meanwhile, the stand-in captain Travis Head has used seven bowlers thus far.

Halfway through and Pakistan are three down now. Latest to depart is captain Salman Agha who holes it to the fielder at long-on. Meanwhile, Fakhar Zaman has joined Babar Azam in the middle.

Respite for Australia, as Saim Ayub departs for well made 40 off just 22 balls. Meanwhile, Babar Azam has joined captain Salman Agha in the middle as Pakistan look to keep up the run rate. 

Debutant Jack Edwards into the action and he gives away 12 runs in his first over. Saim Ayub smashed two back to back boundaries in this over as he races to 19 off 10 balls. The pitch looks good for batting. 

Salman Agha has slammed another six. He seems to enjoy his new role at number three and doesn't shy away from hiting them big. Just one over for Xavier Bartlett so far despite picking a wicket in his first over. It is Cooper Connolly and Matthew Short who have bowled the two overs since then.

Salman Agha is the new batsman in for Pakistan. Despite losing the wicket in first over, Pakistan is looking to attack. Both Saim Ayub and Salman have hit a six each thus far.

OUT! What a start for Australia. Xavier Bartlett has removed Sahibzada Farhan on the very first ball of the match. Soft dismissal this as Farhan plays it back towards the bowler who takes the catch in his followthrough. S Farhan c and b Xavier Bartlett 0(1)

Australia Playing XI; Travis Head(c), Matthew Short, Cameron Green, Matt Renshaw, Cooper Connolly, Mitchell Owen, Josh Philippe(w), Jack Edwards, Xavier Bartlett, Adam Zampa, Mahli Beardman.

Pakistan Playing XI: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Salman Agha(c), Fakhar Zaman, Usman Khan(w), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Salman Mirza, Abrar Ahmed.

TOSS: Pakistan have won the toss and have opted to bat first.