Australia’s Travis Head marks ODI return with century in Pakistan

Travis Head marked his first one-day international appearance since November 2018 with a dashing hundred and a couple of wickets as Australia defeated Pakistan in the series opener in Lahore.

Given a chance at the top of the order in the absence of David Warner, who is among several players rested for the three ODIs after their famous Test series win, Head sparkled on his comeback in Lahore.

He holed out for 101 off 72 deliveries – two balls after reaching his century – which was the cornerstone of Australia’s 313-7 and proved enough to record a comfortable 88-run win.

Australia’s total might have been larger as they had raced to 171 for one wicket before Head trudged off at the midway point, with the tourists then unable to string together a partnership of any significance.

But Ben McDermott’s 55 and an unbeaten 40 off 30 balls from Cameron Green carried Australia beyond 300, and while Pakistan looked well-placed on 124 for one after 24 overs, they imploded soon afterwards.

Mitchell Swepson, on his ODI bow, had his first wicket in the format when Pakistan captain Babar Azam was given out lbw for 57 after missing a sweep, and from there the hosts capitulated to 225 all out.

Swepson’s fellow leg-spinner Adam Zampa took four for 38, with Head’s occasional off-breaks yielding two for 35, and while Pakistan still stood a chance with Imam-ul-Haq at the crease, that evaporated when the opening batter was castled for 103 by a yorker from Nathan Ellis, another ODI debutant.

Pakistan duly subsided after 45.2 overs as Australia drew first blood in the series, which resumes at the Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday.