Australia’s sensational powerplay batting collapse was like “watching a car crash in slow motion” according to captain Aaron Finch after his side were dismissed for their third-lowest score in Twenty20 cricket on Wednesday. Finch’s side were bundled out for 89 in the first Twenty20 international against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi with Sarfraz Ahmed’s side reducing them to 22 for six in the sixth over. Pakistan won the game by 66 runs after they earlier posted 155 for eight, to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
“That power play was horrific. It was carnage. It was like a car crash in slow motion,” Finch told reporters after his side crumbled at Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
“Any time you lose five or six wickets in the power play it’s not ideal.” The tourists’ run chase was only resurrected by bowlers Ashton Agar (19) and Nathan Coulter-Nile, who scored 34, with the pair helping them avoid their lowest score in Twenty20 international cricket of 79 against England in 2005.
The only other player to get into double figures was the returning Chris Lynn, who scored 14, and opener Finch, who was bowled for a three-ball duck by left-arm spinner Imad Wasim said he accepted a lot of responsibility for the collapse himself. “I had the responsibility to get us off to a good start and set up the chase,” Finch said. “When you get out in the first over and don’t get the start needed, that’s not good enough.”
“I think when that many guys get bowled it’s obviously alarming, particularly on a flat surface that didn’t swing a hell of a lot,” said Finch who was out trying to cut a ball from Wasim that hit middle stump. “The batting was awful. But we can bounce back. We do have a lot of experience in the team and some good players. One bad day with the bat doesn’t throw everything out the window.”
