SHARJAH: Left-hander Haris Sohail knocked his maiden One-day International century to guide Pakistan to 280-5 in the first game of a five-match series against Australia here at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday.

The 30-year-old made 115-ball 101 not out in his comeback match after returning home from the South Africa tour with a knee injury last year, lifting Pakistan to a fighting total in their 50 overs.

Pakistan, having rested six of their key players including regular skipper Sarfraz Ahmed to give them break before the World Cup 2019, won the toss on a flat pitch.

Haris, who reached 1,000 runs in his 27th One-day International when on 40, added 98 for the third wicket with Umar Akmal who made 50-ball 49 in his first international match for two years.

Haris took a single to complete his hundred in the last over, finishing with six boundaries and a six. He made his previous best of 89 not out against Zimbabwe in Lahore in 2015.

Pakistan had handed ODI debuts to opener Shan Masood and Mohammad Abbas -- who have played 15 and 14 Tests, respectively.

Shan put on 35 in an opening stand with Imam-ul-Haq (17) before off-spinner Nathan Lyon dismissed Imam in the seventh over, caught and bowled.

Shan, who hit five boundaries in his 62-ball 40, was bowled by paceman Nathan Coulter-Nile who finished with 1-38 in his 10 overs.

Umar, who last played for Pakistan in Australia in January 2017, smashed three sixes in one Jhye Richardson over but fell one short of his half century.

Skipper Shoaib Malik fell for 11 and Faheem Ashraf and Imad Wasim scored 28 each.

Wasim hit four boundaries and a six during his 13-ball unbeaten knock, helping Pakistan to 55 runs in the last five overs.

Scoreboard

PAKISTAN:

Imam-ul-Haq c and b Lyon 17
Shan Masood b Coulter-Nile 40
Haris Sohail not out 101
Umar Akmal c Finch b Coulter-Nile 49
Shoaib Malik b Maxwell 11
Faheem Ashraf c Stoinis b Maxwell 28
Imad Wasim not out 28

EXTRAS (LB-1, W-5) 6

TOTAL (for five wkts, 50 overs) 280

DID NOT BAT: Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Amir, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Abbas

FALL OF WKTS: 1-35, 2-78, 3-176, 4-190, 5-239

BOWLING: Richardson 8-1-65-1; Coulter-Nile 10-0-61-2; Lyon 10-0-38-1; Maxwell 10-0-57-1; Zampa 10-0-44-0; Stoinis 2-0-14-0

AUSTRALIA: Aaron Finch (captain), Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Peter Handscomb, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Jhye Richardson, Nathan Lyon, Adam Zampa

UMPIRES: Michael Gough (England) and Ahsan Raza (Pakistan)

TV UMPIRE: Kumar Dharmasena (Sri Lanka)

MATCH REFEREE: Jeff Crowe (New Zealand)

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2019