Calm captain Cummins leads Australia to two-wicket win over Pakistan in 1st ODI

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Captain Pat Cummins kept his nerve on his return to international cricket to lead Australia to a nervy two-wicket win over Pakistan in the first one-day international on Monday.

A calm Cummins made an unbeaten 32 off 31 balls to steer Australia to 204-8 with more than 16 overs to spare, after the middle-order had stumbled in a modest run chase.

Searing pace from Mitchell Starc (3-33) had earlier helped to bowl out Pakistan for 203 with Cummins, playing his first international since the T20 World Cup in June, picking up 2-39 after he won the toss and elected to field.

“It’s always nice to start the summer off in a positive way,” said Cummins. “We are looking for powerplay wickets … (and) it was a really positive effort with the ball. Maybe a little sloppy from us in the field."

Josh Inglis (49) and Steve Smith (44) had the chase under control at 113-2 before Pakistan’s four-pronged pace attack had Australia reeling at 155-7 on a bouncy MCG wicket.

Fast bowler Haris Rauf (3-67) ignited the collapse when he had Smith caught at point and then Marnus Labuschagne (16) and Glenn Maxwell (0) were undone by pacey deliveries.

Shaheen Shah Afridi picked up 2-43, but Cummins added 30 runs with Sean Abbott before the skipper carried his side over the line for a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Earlier, five of Pakistan's six top-order batters, fresh from playing on spinning wickets at home against England, struggled to cope with the pace of Starc and Cummins.

Babar Azam, who was omitted from the last two test victories against England, made a fluent 37 as the rest of the top-order crumbled.

Starc removed debutant Saim Ayub in his second over when the left-hander played the ball back onto his stumps, and Abdullah Shafique couldn’t pull his bat out of the way of another short delivery and was caught behind.

Starc, playing his 54th ODI in Australia, reached 100 wickets at home and broke the record of Brett Lee, who achieved his milestone in 55 ODIs.

The left-armer Starc is now fourth on the all-time list of Australian ODI bowlers, behind Glenn McGrath, Lee and Shane Warne.

Pakistan’s new white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan struggled to accelerate before leg-spinner Adam Zampa had Babar clean bowled in his first over. Rizwan made 44 off 71 balls before he top-edged a sweep to Labuschagne, the ball deflecting off his helmet to gave wicketkeeper Inglis his third catch.

Kamran Ghulam couldn’t gauge the steep bounce provided by Cummins and gloved a simple catch behind the wicket before the Pakistan tail-enders frustrated Australia.

Naseem Shah smashed a better than a run-a-ball 40 with four sixes and Afridi scored a quickfire 24 off 19 balls which lifted Pakistan beyond the 200-run mark. But Cummins wrapped up the innings by having Naseem caught at mid-off.

Naseem and Afridi then dismissed openers Jake Fraser-McGurk (16) and Matt Short (1) before Smith and Inglis combined in an 85-run partnership.

Pakistan fought back well with the majority of the 25,831 spectators backing the visitors, but Cummins took his side home at the end.

Naseem injured his left calf in his follow through and left the field with Australia needing eight for victory.

“I think we did very well,” said Rizwan, who replaced Babar as Pakistan’s new white-ball captain. “We missed a few chances and the luck was with Australia, so congratulations to them. It’s difficult to read anything into this game … but I’m happy with the fight we put up.”

The second game will be played in Adelaide on Friday with the final ODI in Perth on Sunday. The series will be followed by three T20s.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

Pakistan's Naseem Shah ducks a bouncer from Australia's Mitchell Starc during their one day international cricket match in Melbourne, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

A fan wears a cork hat while watching Australia and Pakistan during their one day international cricket match in Melbourne, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan, right, attempts a sweep shot but edges that ball and will be caught out by Australia's Josh Inglis, left, during their one day international cricket match in Melbourne, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

Pakistan's Irfan Khan bats against Australia during their one day international cricket match in Melbourne, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

Pakistan's Naseem Shah bats against Australia during their one day international cricket match in Melbourne, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

Australia's Steve Smith, left, bats against Pakistan's Mohammad Hasnain during their one day international cricket match in Melbourne, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

Pakistan's Shaheen Shah Afridi, left, bowls to Australia's Steve Smith during their one day international cricket match in Melbourne, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

Pakistan's Haris Rauf celebrates the wicket of Australia's Marnus Labuschagne during their one day international cricket match in Melbourne, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

Pakistan's Aamer Jamal, right, sits on the ground after after a missed chance to run out Australia's Pat Cummins during their one day international cricket match in Melbourne, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

Australia's Pat Cummins, second left, and Australia's Mitchell Starc, second right, cross as they score the winning run off the bowling of Pakistan's Mohammad Hasnain, right, during their one day international cricket match in Melbourne, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan, left, celebrates with teammates after running out Australia's Sean Abbott during their one day international cricket match in Melbourne, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

Australia's not-out batters Pat Cummins, right, and Mitchell Starc walk off the ground after their win over Pakistan during their one day international cricket match in Melbourne, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

Australia's Mitchell Starc bowls to Pakistan during their one day international cricket match in Melbourne, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Zeke Mayo, a grad transfer from South Dakota State, had 19 points in his Kansas debut and the top-ranked Jayhawks beat Howard 87-57 on Monday night in the season-opener for both teams.

Kansas led 46-19 at halftime and its biggest lead was 38 points.

The game was the second annual McClendon Classic, named in honor of Kansas graduate and Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame honoree John McClendon.

Kansas (1-0) used the game as a tune-up before a top-10 showdown with North Carolina on Friday night. The Jayhawks had 10 players score, with three in double-figures. Hunter Dickinson, who missed Kansas' scrimmage and exhibition games, had 16 points and six rebounds, and Flory Bidunga added 13 points and a game-high eight rebounds.

Blake Harper had 16 points to lead Howard.

Howard: The Bison will take away plenty from the contest, mostly measured in guaranteed money they received from Kansas.

Kansas: The Jayhawks won their 52nd consecutive home opener, dating back to the final 10 years of Ted Owens’ career, through five years under Larry Brown, 15 under Roy Williams and 22 straight under Bill Self.

After falling behind 4-3 early, the Jayhawks used a 12-3 run to eliminate any thoughts of a Howard victory. Howard went almost nine minutes without a field goal, missing 10 straight shot attempts as Kansas methodically pulled away.

Howard shot just 24.1 percent (7 for 29) in the first half.

Howard visits Missouri on Friday, while Kansas hosts No. 9 North Carolina.

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Howard guard Bryce Harris, left, Kansas forward KJ Adams Jr. (24) and Howard forward Dom Campbell, right, battle for a rebound during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, in Lawrence, Kan. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)

Kansas forward Flory Bidunga, top, dunks over Howard forward Cameron Shockley-Okeke, below, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, in Lawrence, Kan. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)