Minhas grabs a five-for on debut as Pakistan halt Australia for 200 in first ODI

Pakistan's debutant spinner Arafat Minhas proved a handful for the Australian batters, who had few answers to his variations in the first ODI. Opting to bowl first in Rawalpindi, Pakistan played two frontline spinners, including Abrar Ahmed and Arafat Minhas. 

The ploy worked incredibly for them as the two bowlers shared seven wickets between them, with Minhas grabbing a five-for.

Arafat began by bowling economically

The young spinner bowled economically in his first three overs as he conceded only 17 runs, though he remained wicketless. However, the pressure that he had built by then made Australian batters make mistakes. He struck twice in his fourth over, first by dismissing the captain Josh Inglis and then trapping Marnus Labuschagne LBW a ball later.

Australia's trial by spin hardly ended there, as Minhas added to Cameron Green's misery in the next over, sending him back for a nought. It became harder to score off his balls, and by the time he ended his quota of 10 overs, he had bowled 40 dot deliveries.

Young spinner provides the breakthrough

Opener Matt Short, who kept standing with his fellow batters falling one after another, also fell victim to Minhas. The opener was steering the side to recovery as he built a 55-run partnership with Matt Renshaw. 

But Minhas brilliantly deceived Short out of the crease as he attempted to go over the top, but the ball spun past his outside edge, and Ghazi Ghori with the gloves struck the wickets.

His fifth wicket came as he cleaned up Nathan Ellis in his last over. Ellis looked to cut the ball, but it was too quick off the surface as it leapt straight at the stumps. Arafat Minhas became the first Pakistan men's bowler to take a five-for on his ODI debut.

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