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In a rain-affected T20I series opener at The Gabba on November 14, Josh Inglis-led Australia defeated Mohammad Rizwan's Pakistan to register a resounding victory. Australia's brilliant batting display, particularly that of Glenn Maxwell, set an unbeatable target when the game was cut short to seven overs each side. They won handily by 29 runs and took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. However, Pakistan and Australia both seemed to breach an ICC regulation during the match and even the umpires were unable to notice the violation which resulted in this 'Brisbane Blunder'.
Rain caused the series opener to be shortened to 7 overs per side. Along with the rules for bowlers, this also changed the game's rules. Two bowlers were permitted to bowl a maximum of two overs under the updated playing conditions. However, three bowlers from both the Australian and Pakistani sides bowled two overs each rather than two, which was a blatant breach of the regulations.
Two bowlers can bowl no more than two overs, according to the graphic on the host broadcast before the game began. Naseem Shah and Nathan Ellis were the third bowlers for their respective sides who got to bowl two overs despite two other players of their teams completing the two-over quota. Cricket Australia did say that two bowlers could bowl no more than two overs each and this scenario has drawn a lot of confusion.
Australia beat Pakistan by 29 runs
Even though Australian openers Jake Fraser-McGurk and Matthew Short were unable to maintain their early aggression, Glenn Maxwell took over at number three with an incredible performance of powerful hitting. Maxwell got off to a determined start and swiftly destroyed Pakistan's bowlers, including standout players like Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi. Australia reached a massive 93 runs at the end of their seven overs, a daunting target for Pakistan to chase, thanks to his strong 43 off just 19 balls and Marcus Stoinis's fast-paced, undefeated 21 off seven balls.
Pakistan's attempts to go big right away failed, as their batting lineup suffered under the strain of the high chase. None of the best players in Pakistan were able to establish any meaningful partnerships. Australian bowlers Nathan Ellis and Xavier Bartlett took advantage of this and increased the pressure with outstanding efforts. Ellis had a frugal period, taking 3/9, while Bartlett took 3/13. Pakistan's final total of 64 for the loss of nine wickets at the end of seven overs was the result of their inability to generate the necessary runs from their main players, including Babar Azam and captain Mohammad Rizwan, who was dismissed for a duck.
Even though the format was shorter, which put more pressure on the team batting second, Pakistan's incapacity to adjust and develop reliable alliances was pretty clear. As they prepare to level the series and make amends at the second T20I in Sydney on November 16, they will need to fix their batting deficiencies. In order to stay competitive in the current series, Pakistan will strive to deliver their best game and adjust swiftly when necessary.
