Pakistan’s fiery short-pitched bowling nearly made the first ODI in Melbourne against Australia a game for the ages. Marshaled by Haris Rauf, the Pakistani pace arsenal hassled the Australian batting line with menacing short bouncers on a surface that retained fair bounce all along. On a ground that has become synonymous with batting, an Australian top-order fight was eventually rewarded when Pat Cummins’s men somehow overhauled a minuscule total of 204 to snatch an exciting two-wicket victory.

However, experts think that the strategy of short pitches might not be very effective for Pakistan in the second ODI at the Adelaide Oval.

Fiery Spell Of Haris Rauf At MCG

On day one of the first ODI, Rauf’s sizzling spell had the pro-Pakistan crowd on their feet, disturbing the top-order Australian batsmen. Twin strikes by him meant taking out Marnus Labuschagne and Glenn Maxwell in successive deliveries keeping the pressure on Australia, who fought back to take a dramatic win at the end of the match. An impeccable composed captain Pat Cummins marshaled his side with equanimity.

Also Read: IPL 2025: No Ben Stokes For The Upcoming Season!

It may not work in Adelaide Oval, though it successfully bounced out the Australians at MCG because Adelaide Oval is famous for its batting-friendly conditions and shorter square boundaries, and the top-order players may play better with Australia’s batsmen as Matt Short.

Short boundaries characterize Adelaide Oval, mainly the square of the wicket, which might have made bouncers relatively lethal on that ground. Australia has opener Matt Short, who had a poor start for the series. He wants to bat on his ground. Short is the player for Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League and is eager to have an impact after scoring one run in the first ODI.

“It is going to feel pretty easy down there opening the batting, that’s for sure,” Short said. “It’s my favorite ground in the world to play at and I’ve played there quite several times so I should be pretty familiar with it.”

Short’s Desire To Consolidate His Position

Short came into the series with huge ambitions to seal a spot in the 50-over team as David Warner’s long-term replacement. He has impressed in each of his previous performances and had given a match-winning 58 off 30 balls in the decider against England in Bristol. He has to perform consistently to establish himself as a permanent part of the squad.

“I came into this series with high aspirations to try to cement my spot in the team,” Short said. “I’m going to go out there and keep trying to be positive and play aggressive cricket. It should pay off at some stage.”

Being another match with regular opener Travis Head on paternity leave, Short has shared an opening combination with Jake Fraser-McGurk for today’s game. In their inaugural appearance at the first ODI, both failed very early in the chase. When this ultra-aggressive approach player scored 16 from 14 balls, all hope was gone that is in the first game because Fraser-McGurk’s swashbuckling approach did not completely come off.

Despite the early jitters, Australia’s coaching staff has been encouraging the aggressive approach at the start. “The coaching staff give us both the license to be free and play our shots,” Short said. “Batting with Travis Head as well, if he goes off then I let him go and I do my thing.”.

As the series moves to Adelaide, Pakistan’s short-pitch strategy might need to be modified. Short square boundaries and a surface more batting-friendly might mean the Pakistani fast bowlers need to adjust their strategy to cause more discomfort to the Australian openers. For Short and Fraser-McGurk, the message would be to remain positive, retain the intent of playing aggressive cricket, and make themselves comfortable at the Adelaide Oval.

The second ODI is today, and this 50-over riveting series will not yet permit both teams to breathe with ease for they are still fighting it out to lead the way. Australia has to look for hope in that their opening batsmen come in with something better than the effort put up last night, while Pakistan has immediately to change its strategy of not wanting to fall again victim to hard-won defeat.

Also Read: Sri Lanka Announces ODI And T20I Squads For Upcoming Series Against New Zealand