'We didn't get going all day' – Aaron Finch after first loss of the series

Pakistan consigned Australia to their first defeat of the tri-nation Twenty20 International series in Zimbabwe by beating them by 45 runs in match No.5 at the Harare Sports Club. Helped by Fakhar Zaman’s 42-ball 73 and Shaheen Afridi’s 3/37, Pakistan restricted Australia to 149/7 after having put up 194/7.

Zaman set the tone for his team at the top of the order, hitting nine fours and three sixes before getting dismissed in the 15th over. He was helped by Hussain Talat (30), Shoaib Malik (27) and some lower-order hitting by Asif Ali, who scored a quick-fire 37 off just 18 balls to push the Pakistan total towards 200.

Zaman has been in good touch throughout the series, having scored 61 and 47 in the games against Zimbabwe. Was this knock against a more formidable Australia his best of the series so far?

“Yes, you can call it [my best innings] because in the previous games we were not getting good starts. We tried and got one here,” Zaman said after the match.

In Pakistan’s first league game against Australia on 2 July, Zaman was dismissed cheaply for 6 and revealed that Pakistan were ready for a short-ball barrage, as that had been Australia’s plan in their first meeting.

“In the first game [against Australia] they bowled us bouncers [so] we were expecting more bouncers and were ready for that. We were looking for 160-170 but got to 194.”

Afridi, playing his first game in the series, was impressive in just his second T20I, getting the wickets of an in-form Aaron Finch, Glenn Maxwell and D’Arcy Short. Was there a particular plan for the Australian batsman? “I try to bowl according to the match situation,” Afridi answered.

At 18 years of age, Afridi’s introduction to international cricket has come quite early. However, the left-arm fast bowler feels no pressure of the big stage thanks to the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

“Since I have started playing the PSL, there has been no nervousness regarding facing international teams. I don’t feel any pressure now while playing international cricket and I am ready to play whatever role is assigned to me.”

Afridi’s captain Sarfraz Ahmed was happy with the bowler’s effort as he was with the rest of the bowling unit. At the end of the previous match against Zimbabwe, even though Pakistan won that game and qualified for the final, he had expressed disappointment with the bowlers.

“Today’s pitch was a difficult one for me as a captain. If you pitch the ball up, it was easy to hit on the up. But credit goes to my bowlers,” Ahmed said.

“We gave [Afridi] an opportunity because we have been carrying him for the last two-three series. So we gave him a chance, and the way he bowled today ... it was excellent bowling. [Mohammad] Amir, Shadab [Khan], [Shoaib] Malik and [Usman] Shenwari all did a great job.”

The captain acknowledged Zaman and Ali’s knocks as well. “It was not an easy wicket to bat on, but the way he batted ... credit goes to him,” he said.

Ali, who came in to bat at No.6 provided Pakistan the final push by hitting three fours and two sixes, and his cameo was the difference between the 160-170 Pakistan were expecting and the 194 they eventually got. “We need that sort of a guy who can hit sixes while batting at No.6 and he has been a good induction to our team,” Ahmed said.

Finch, who has been in imperious touch with the bat, conceded that the team didn’t get going in any of the three departments.

“I think we didn’t get going all day, with ball and in the field and then with the bat we could not develop any partnerships,” he said.

“I thought it was a 170 wicket. I thought we let them get away a little bit. Our fielding was a bit sloppy as well so it was a disappointing day all around.

“You like to keep winning all the time. Unfortunately we couldn’t do that today. We have got a short turnaround for Zimbabwe tomorrow and hopefully come out here on Sunday and turn it around.”

Australia play Zimbabwe in the last league game of the series tomorrow before clashing with Pakistan again in the final on Sunday 8 July.