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Australia's captain Josh Inglis praised his team's all-round performance after their 13-run victory against Pakistan in the second T20I in Sydney on Saturday.
Speaking post-match, Inglis expressed satisfaction with the team's strong start and overall management of the game. "We started really well. The boys at the top got us off to a flyer," Inglis said, acknowledging the aggressive approach of the openers. He also highlighted the challenging middle overs, where Pakistan's bowlers effectively used variations to stem the run flow. "It was tough through the middle as they adapted and bowled cutters," he noted. Inglis commended the depth and versatility of the Australian squad, particularly Spencer Johnson's match-winning bowling performance. "There are so many options in this team I can turn to. Every time I went to Johnson tonight, he got a wicket," he said. Reflecting on the openers' contributions, Inglis remarked, "The way they played tonight was really good. They put their bowlers under pressure and got us off to a great start." He candidly spoke about the challenges of captaincy, admitting to moments of pressure and learning on the job. "I need to sleep--this captaincy is tough work," he joked, adding, "That drop catch--I was thinking more about the captaincy than the keeping. It's something I'm keen to learn and grow from." Australia, after winning the toss, made a blazing start with openers Matthew Short and Jake Fraser-McGurk forging a 50-run partnership in just 3.1 overs. Fraser-McGurk was the first to fall, dismissed by Haris Rauf for 20. Skipper Josh Inglis followed soon after for a duck, also falling to Rauf. Short contributed 32 before being bowled by Abbas Afridi, leaving Australia at 56/3 within six overs. Marcus Stoinis added 14 before being dismissed by Sufiyan Muqeem, while Glenn Maxwell scored 21 off 20 balls before falling to Muqeem. Tim David chipped in with 18 off 19 balls, including two boundaries, but became Rauf's third victim. Xavier Bartlett was dismissed for 5, also by Rauf, who finished with exceptional figures of 4/22--the best T20I bowling performance against Australia on home soil. Aaron Hardie played a crucial innings of 28 off 23 deliveries before being caught behind off Abbas Afridi. Spencer Johnson was dismissed for a golden duck, leaving Abbas with figures of 3/17. Australia was bowled out for 147. Pakistan's chase got off to a poor start as Xavier Bartlett dismissed Babar Azam for just 3. Spencer Johnson then sent Sahibzada Farhan (5) and Mohammad Rizwan (16 off 26) back to the pavilion. Johnson continued his dominance, dismissing Salman Agha for a golden duck, reducing Pakistan to 44/4 in 9.3 overs. Pakistan reached 50 in 10.2 overs and 100 in 14.5 overs, but their middle-order collapse derailed the chase. Usman Khan and Irfan Khan offered some resistance with a fifty-run partnership. Usman eventually fell to Johnson after a well-made 52 off 38 balls, including four boundaries and a six. Johnson claimed his fifth wicket by dismissing Abbas Ali for 4. Adam Zampa further dented Pakistan's efforts, dismissing Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah for ducks. Sufiyan Muqeem was run out without scoring, and Haris Rauf was dismissed for 2 after a sharp throw from Tim David. Pakistan needed 16 runs in the final over but fell short, bowled out for 134. Johnson's stellar five-wicket haul (5/36) earned him the Player of the Match award. Bartlett and Zampa also contributed with a wicket each, with Zampa returning economical figures of 2/19 in his four overs. Australia, leading the series 2-0, will now head to Hobart for the final T20I, aiming for a clean sweep. (ANI)
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