Australia set a challenging 368-run target for Pakistan in the 18th match of Cricket World Cup 2023 in Bengaluru on Friday evening.
After being put in to bat first by skipper Babar Azam, Australia made a roaring start with a 259 runs-opening partnership between David Warner (163) and Mitchell Marsh (121).
At this stage 400 plus runs total was apparently on the card but the Pakistani bowlers led by Shaheen Shah Afridi came back strongly to restrict Australia to 367/9 in the allotted 50 0vers.
Marcus Stoinis made 21 and Josh Inglis 13 runs. No other batter could reach double figures.
Shaheen Shah Afridi bagged five wickets while Haris Raus took three and Usama Mir one wicket.
This is the Babar Azam-led side’s fourth match in the tournament and they are placed fourth on the 10-team points table with two wins from three matches. They have had five days to rejuvenate since their arrival in the city. Over the last two days, the team has practiced under lights and in the afternoon, in their bid to acclimatise to the conditions.
Though the match against India at Ahmedabad did not produce favourable results, Bradburn believes that it provided some crucial learnings from which the team will benefit in the tournament.
Australia have had an uncharacteristic start to their World Cup campaign, going down against India and South Africa before bouncing back with a five-wicket win over Sri Lanka. They have had an upper hand over Pakistan in the 50-over World Cup, winning six out of 10 matches. But, the most recent outing in the format between the two sides saw Pakistan come on top with a 2-1 win in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League series.
Pakistan Playing XI: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Nawaz, Iftikhar Ahmed, Usama Mir, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf
Australia Playing XI: David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (capt), Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
