• Iftikhar Ahmed saved Pakistan with a brilliant half-century.
• Arshdeep dismissed Pakistan captain Babar Azam for a golden duck.
• Iftikhar’s power-hitting turned the game around, scoring 51 runs in 34 balls.

Iftikhar Ahmed saved Pakistan with a brilliant half-century after young pacer Arshdeep Singh struck early in the highly anticipated match between the archrivals at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday.

Arshdeep dismissed Pakistan captain Babar Azam for a golden duck in the high-octane match. After the left-arm pacer bounced Mohammad Rizwan for four runs in 12 balls, the green shirts were under pressure.

Iftikhar’s power-hitting turned the game around, scoring 51 runs in 34 balls. Axar Patel conceded three sixes after Ashwin was hit over long-on. Axar’s first was slog-swept over the leg side, the second was pumped 97 metres down the pitch, and the final shot went over the rope despite KL Rahul’s incredible jump.