Australia vs Pakistan highlights, ICC World Cup 2023 updates: Zampa takes four as AUS beats PAK by 62 runs

Afridi smashes Cummins’ bouncer ALMOST for a six but gets a four. OUT! Pakistan all out. Australia wins by 62 runs.

Full toss by Starc and Afridi slashes it towards covers for four! Another full toss and this time Hasan slashes for four. However, the next ball he gets out caught behind. Nine down now. Haris Rauf now.

Hasan swings hard against Hazlewood length delivery and finds the boundary! Wild swings by Hasan. Five off the over.

Zampa is testing the Pakistani lower order with googlies. Afridi missed it but Nawaz finds one in slot and smacks it over long-on for a SIX! OUT! Nawaz charges down but misses the ball and gets stumped. Eight down Pakistan.

Now Hazlewood removes Usama Mir. Suddenly it has become too easy for Australia. Short ball, Usama goes for pull but no power in the shot and gets caught at fine leg. Three runs and a wicket from that over.

Has Zampa trapped Rizwan in front? Yes he has!! He went for sweep but gets hit on the pads. Umpire raised his finger immediately. Rizwan though reviewed it but that can’t save him.

Hazlewood bowling on tight lines. Rizwan needs to play a blinder here. Just three singles from that over.

Zampa is back. Sometimes too full, sometimes too back. Zampa is either mixing his length or hasn’t been able to control his lengths. This time he lands ball at the perfect length, Iftikhar goes back but the ball skids into him. Australians appeal but umpire says not out. DRS taken. Ball tracking says the ball hit the pads first and Iftikhar is gone! Five down Pakistan. Mohammad Nawaz at the crease now.

Pakistan needs 116 runs off 78 balls.

Back of the length, gentle pace, and Iftikhar smashes it over the bowler’s head and the lands the ball into the stands for a SIX! Rizwan then hits him for four towards fine leg.

Back of the length and Iftikhar Ahmed picks it and sends the ball towards square leg and gets a SIX! Pakistan needs a lot of those to keep itself in the game. Australia is still squeezing the runs. Full on the pads and Iftikhar launches into the stands in the square leg region! 14 off that over.

Rizwan and Iftikhar knock around the Stoinis over. Still a long way to go for Pakistan from here.

Cummins has brought himself into the attack now. Back of the length, Shakeel goes for a pull but gets a thick outside edge that goes into the air and Stoinis takes a good catch running back. Shakeel goes for 30 off 31 balls. Iftikhar Ahmed joins Rizwan at the crease. He dots the four balls he faces.

Pakistan is looking comfortable in this chase. Rizwan and Shakeel have fifty run partnership now. Shakeel celebrates that fact with pull towards midwicket for four. Single to end the over.

Starc bowling wicket to wicket on good length. Short ball and Shakeel launches him over mid-on and gets a boundary. Line is clear for Starc, he’s trying to mix the length. Full toss and Shakeel scoops it behind fine leg and ends the over with a four.

Maxwell is back. Rizwan gets an opportunity to charge down the track and he hits it straight past the bowler for four.

Starc is now brought back. Pakistan is still very much in hunt. Four singles in five balls. Length ball and Rizwan smacks it towards midwicket for four to end the over.

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Hazlewood continues with back of the length balls. Making Shakeel and Rizwan take risks to score boundaries. So far the bowler is winning the battle. Bowls too short, Shakeel goes for a pull, gets hit on the helmet and the ball goes over the keeper towards the ropes. Concussion check for him. FOUR to end the over. A touch fuller and Shakeel smacks it over the bowler’s head.

Zampa drops one down the leg and Shakeel nudges it towards fine leg for four. Now Shakeel attempts a reverse sweep but the short third fields it. Knocking around the ground, the two batters.

Hazlewood is brought back. Ball jags back into the left hander Shakeel who went for a slog but misses. Hazlewood appeals but it is too high. Two runs from the over.

Zampa into his sixth over now. He strikes! What a catch that at midwicket! Babar went back to pull him over midwicket but gets caught. Pat Cummins dived to his right to grab a stunning catch. An early exit for the Pakistani captain. Now Saud Shakeel comes to the crease. He straightaway gets off the mark with a single.

Stoinis continues. Bowling at gentle pace but at hard lengths. Isn’t allowing any room to the Pakistani batters. Five runs off the over.

Cummins has seen the back of Rizwan thrice in five innings. However, this time around, he starts off on a positive note. Stays put and looks to slash one away with zero footwork. The edge does the job, though. It was a boundary the moment it left his bat. Another boundary through mid-off means that Pakistan has pocketed 10 from this over.

Stoinis is in to bowl his second. AND HE STRIKES... AGAIN! What a day he is having. Starc takes a sharp catch in the deep; that was hit straight down his throat. Both of Pakistan’s openers are now back in the hut. Rizwan, who joins Babar, is off the mark. Babar gets a boundary off the last delivery of the over. He hits it across the strip where Hazlewood mistimed his dive, two overs ago. Hazlewood was standing very wide of mid-on on this occasion.

Babar almost screams his lungs out as he sends Imam back. There was never a run there. Smith, at gully, hits the sticks, and that is when the batters steal a single off the overthrow. Starc loses his grip on the ball during the loadup. Imam is taken by surprise. The duo exchanges smiles. Pulled over midwicket, Imam manages to cap the over with a four.

Australia desperately needs a breakthrough. In pursuit, they have brought in an interesting change in Stoinis. And it works straightaway... Stoinis bowls short but cramps the left-handed Shafique for space. He goes for a wild, wild swing while rushing down the track but ends up top-edging to Maxwell at midwicket. Babar saunters to the centre. The Pakistan skipper is up and running as he pierces the field at square leg. Four! Another four for Babar as Hazlewood puts in one of the sloppiest dives we’ve seen in a while.

Starc returns. Imam throws the kitchen sink at a slower one from the bowler, but misses all of it. Starc breathes fire with the fourth delivery. A shorter delivery from Starc almost makes Imam smell leather. “Ooooooooo” goes the in-house DJ, appreciating the snorter. Starc walks up to Imam and mumbles something. The batter doesn’t respond.

With three men on the legside, Shafique shuffles across to expose all three of his stumps before a quick flash of the bat sees the ball racing down to the left of point. Maxwell tried to follow his movement for a bit but in vain. Shafique uses his feet on two more occasions to register two more boundaries. 15 off the over.

The DRS is back. Zampa bowls yet another economical over. Just four from it.

An eventful over, this. First, Shafique gets to his fifty. Next, skipper Cummins drops Imam on 49 at midwicket. The ball bursts through his fingers. Imam adds salt to the Aussies’ wound by getting a fifty of his own with a four to boot.

Umpire Chris Brown informs the players that the DRS is down because there is a power outage. They are working to get it rebooted. For now, the players will have to rely on the ump’s decision only. The required run rate has just spilled over to the eights. There is additional information coming in on DRS being unavailable. As it turns out, reviews can be taken. But there will be no ball tracking or other technology available. They’ll have only replays to fall back on. The 100 comes up for Pakistan. Imam ends the over on a high; it’s a boundary.

Maxwell into the attack. There’s a bit of hold on the surface. The dew, though, has started to come on a bit. The groundsmen are dragging the ropes on the outfield in between the overs. Three runs off this over.

A tidy over from Zampa. Just four coming from it. Time for drinks. Are Pakistan playing it a bit too safe? Both Imam and Shafique would be looking to get big scores but they’d have to be wary of the required rate which continues to climb.

Good running; Imam responds promptly to Shafique’s call for a quick single. With the kind of total Pakistan is chasing, rotation of strike would be of paramount importance. Just when Cummins thought he would get away with an economical over, Shafique hits a six off the last ball to deep midwicket.

Imam takes the initiative! Puts on his dancing shoes and lofts one over Zampa’s head. Four! A decent over otherwise.

That’s a beaut! Cummins bangs one into the good-length area, and it just zips past Shafique’s blade. The batter replies perfectly with a drive past the bowler for four. A bit of an anticlimax, this! Sean Abbott, in as a replacement for Warner, grasses a dolly. This was perfectly set up. The fielder was stationed just inches away from the rope. The ball ends up bursting through his fingers. Worse, it ends up being a maximum.

Adam Zampa, fresh off a four-for, introduced into the attack. Starts off with a 90kmph delivery. Except for the last game, it hasn’t been that great a season for the spinner. Gets one to skid into Imam’s pads. Pakistan gets a run in leg byes.

The crowd is losing its mind every time Hazlewood walks in to bowl. They’ll surely blow the roof off the venue when Maxwell bowls his first. Australia has sneaked in a fielder behind square. Expecting a barrage of short deliveries.

Leg byes! Shafique runs a single after being rapped on the pads. That would bring up the fifty for Pakistan. Another delivery swings away from the left-handed Imam to settle into the ‘keeper’s gloves. Four! Shafique anticipates the bounce and pulls it away to the fence.

Hazlewood also pulls the length back a touch. In India, bowlers, who tend to pitch it a bit up, are more successful. Two runs come off the over.

Pat Cummins decides to take things into his own hand. After a couple of back-of-a-length deliveries, Shafique decides he’s had enough. The Pakistani batter charges down the track and whacks it straight down the ground for four. That is one way to deal with pressure...

The point fielder is now positioned a bit finer. Close! Hazlewood gets some extra bounce off the surface and Shafique almost ends up edging it to the ‘keeper. And another one whizzes just past the blade. It’s a maiden over.

Starc bowls a wide again. Looking to find some swing, the Aussie bowls on middle and off, and it moves just enough to zip down leg. FOUR! Imam closes the face of the bat with immaculate timing to let the ball trickle away to the right of midwicket. Starc doesn’t seem to have learned a lesson as he bowls onto Imam’s pads again. The result is identical - tucked away for four more.

Hazlewood has been greeted with back-to-back fours. The first boundary comes courtesy of a lightning-quick outfield. Imam didn’t get much behind the pull shot, but it rolled down to the rope anyway. The second four has been slashed through cover point.

Shafique uses Starc’s pace to good effect, managing to pierce the gap near the point region. There are three fielders hovering about, and Maxwell puts in a dive as well, but it would be a four nonetheless. And four more! There is width on offer and Shafique won’t let that opportunity slip.

The RCB chants come out for Hazlewood. Those, however, don’t help, as Imam gets off the mark with a boundary. Opens the face of the bat to help the ball on its way. Maxwell at backward point gets a finger to it, but that won’t stop the ball from speeding away to the fence. A field change—the second slip comes on for Imam, who loves to throw his arms when there is width on offer.

Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq will get things rolling for Pakistan in the chase. Mitchell Starc to open the bowling. Starc starts off with two misfires. The ball is moving about quite a bit. The third ball is pitched up and moves inwards after dipping. Lethal stuff. Shafique beaten on the inside edge. Two more wides, what is happening with Starc’s radar here? He has called for a change of boots, maybe he is losing his shape during the landing. He is putting on longer spikes on the leading right foot. The two deliveries post the change are right on the money. Shafique punches through cover. Would have been a boundary but Marnus manages to chase it down.

Last over. Starc tries to hit one over long-off but gets caught. Australia loses its eighth wicket. OUT! Fifer for Afridi! Hazlewood gets a fine edge straight to keeper. Hattrick ball for Afridi now for the second time in this game. Wide ball. Down the leg. Full toss and Zampa its it towards point for a single. What a ball! Cutter and Cummins has no clue when to time it. Double on the last ball.

Rauf removes Labuschagne! Short ball and pulls it straight to deep midwicket fielder. Easy catch. Australia is seven down and Starc is the new man in with nine balls to go. Just five off the over.

Stoinis tries to scoop Afridi, misses it and the ball hits the pad. Afridi appeals and the umpire raises his finger. However, Stoinis takes a DRS. Three reds and Stoinis has to go. OUT! Australia has lost its way in the second half of the innings. Was looking set to go past 400-mark at one stage. Pat Cummins is the new batter in. Tight bowling by Afridi here. Giving nothing away as Australia struggles to finish on a high. Four runs off the over.

Rauf has had a forgettable day so far despite him taking two wickets. Back of the length and Labuschagne absolutely smacks it over mid-off for four! Great shot. Sneaks in a quick single on the next ball. Stoinis not timing the ball well. Attempted a few slogs but has missed them. Good mix of pace by Rauf as well.

Afridi now has three overs left. Slow ball and Stoinis slices it over point fielder and the ball races away for four. Three singles from the over other than that boundary.

Inglis attempts a scoop off Rauf’s length ball but misses it. Rizwan appeals for a caught behind but the umpire isn’t interested. However, he convinces the players and a DRS is taken. And there is indeed an edge! Inglis is OUT! Great review! Marnus Labuschagne walks in at number seven. Is off the mark with a single. Good first four balls by Rauf. Stoinis attempts an upper cut but is beaten. A yorker to end. Two runs from the over.

Hasan began with a two dot balls but Inglis gets a full toss on the third ball and hits it past mid-off for four. Now, on the pads and Inglis pushes the ball towards midwicket for another boundary.

Rauf is back and Warner hits him over long-on for a SIX on the first ball! OUT! He tries to hit the same shot but doesn’t get enough power and it caught at long-on. Terrific knock by Warner. He goes for 163. Josh Inglis hits his first ball for a four! Width on offer and he cuts it past point.

Hasan has started his over well here. Just two singles coming in the first three balls. Two doubles and a single in the next balls.

Warner starts Usama’s over with a SIX towards midwicket! Sweetly times the slog sweep off a slot ball. And Stoinis ends the over with a SIX. Huge hit over the bowler’s head.

Stoinis’ uppish drive and it just goes past the covers fielder who dived. A double. Quiet over.

OUT! Smith once again falls early in this tournament! Usama hits straight to the bowler, Usama, and gets out for just seven. Suddenly Australia has lost three wickets pretty quickly. Marcus Stoinis takes a single on the first ball to get off the mark. Warner finishes the over with four past mid-off.

Warner hits Shaheen too high towards long off but it doesn’t cross the ropes and is too far away from the fielder. Two runs. However, on the next ball, Shaheen drops it short and Warner slaps it towards midwicket for four! Another boundary. Too wide outside off stump on length. A gift for Warner who hits it towards covers.

Australian batters have suddenly gone quiet. Not many boundaries in the last couple of overs. Smith and Warner having a bit of communication issue as well while running between the wicket. A lot of yes and nos!

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Warner, Marsh record highest opening partnership for Australia in ODI World Cups

David Warner and Mitchell Marsh set a new record for Australia's highest opening partnership in ODI World Cup history.

Hattrick ball for Shaheen Afridi is gently pushes through to extra covers for a single. Down the leg ball, Smith tries to flick it, gets beaten, Rizwan grabs it and tries to convince the umpire for a caught behind but it’s a wide. A quiet over this. Just five runs off it.

Steve Smith is the new man in. He gets off the mark with a single off Usama Mir. DROPPED! Usama induces an outside edge off Smith’s bat but Babar at first slips puts it down.

Shaheen Afridi is welcomed back into the attack with a huge SIX! Slot ball and over the bowler’s head. Half-tracker and Marsh pulls it behind square leg for another maximum. OUT! Marsh is gone! Full on the pads, Marsh flicks it but towards short fine leg and the fielder catches it, finally! Marsh is out for 121 off 108 balls.

Maxwell, who was promoted to number three is GONE FIRST BALL! Tries going for a wild slog but hits it too high and gets caught at mid-on.

Usama Mir is now bowling his fifth over. Warner hits the half-tracker in the air towards midwicket, didn’t have much power as the fielder in the deep runs in to grab it but can’t. Warner is dropped again and also gets a boundary! Not a simple catch though but we have seen players taking those on. Abdullah Shafique was the fielder and he might have hurt his finger there and is going off the field for treatment. Halt in the play.

Another half-tracker and this time Warner gets enough power to get a SIX over midwicket! Overpitched this time and Warner drives it past mid-off for another four. Same delivery, same shot, same result on the next ball. 19 runs from the over.

Haris Rauf is into the attack now. He was pretty expensive earlier in the day. Slot ball and Marsh slaps him over midwicket for another SIX! Warner ends the over with beautifully driven for four towards covers!

Marsh takes a single on the first ball and Warner is on strike now. Warner hits it back to Nawaz. A dot. Similar delivery and similar result. Two dots now. Comes down the track and pushes the ball towards long on for a single. CENTURY for Warner in 85 balls! Marsh too gets too his century as he smashes the ball towards covers for four! WOW! What an opening partnership this has been!

Yet another maximum of the game as Marsh walks down the track and smacks the slot ball by Hasan for a straight SIX! A single on the fourth ball brings Warner at the crease. He cuts it towards extra covers for a single. On 99. But Marsh will keep the strike the next over.

Nawaz continues. A fine effort at the covers to cut a Marsh drive just to a single. However, Warner smashes the half-tracker towards square leg for four, the next ball. Warner takes a single. He’s on 98 now. Marsh takes a single on the last ball.

Hasan Ali is brought back into the attack and Marsh welcomes him with a SIX over midwicket. Back of the length ball and the Australian smacks it into the stands. Good comeback by Hasan, bowls three dots. A single to end the over.

Nawaz has bowled decently so far, going just under six an over. Warner trying to make some room, cuts the ball towards backward point and runs a double. Now charges down the track and whacks the ball past midwicket fielder for four. Takes a single on the next ball. Nine runs off the over.

Iftikhar in his eighth over now. Pakistani spinners trying to keep the ball straight and simple. Just four runs in that over including a double via leg bye.

Warner gets a single with an uppish shot through midwicket. That is the only run that has come from the over.

Just two singles come from the Iftikhar over. Would have been just one if Babar, the skipper himself, hadn’t fumbled at cover point.

Nawaz, whose bowling style is similar to Ravindra Jadeja’s, needs to emulate the Indian spinner and restrict himself to the wicket-to-wicket line. SIX! You cannot afford to bowl anything short to Warner. He rocks back and clobbers this over deep midwicket.

The Australia batters have maintained a solid balance. While they have whacked almost every bowler, they have also respected the odd good over. Four singles come off this one from Iftikhar.

The 150-run partnership is up, the on-ground DJ announces. Usama covers some ground before putting in a dive near the rope to save a boundary. Marsh, denied once, decides to go for a six instead. The big left leg comes out as Marsh pummells it down long-on.

Iftikhar returns. Warner and Marsh seem to be taking things a bit easy now, nudging it about to different areas of the field.

Mohammad Nawaz, left-arm spinner, introduced. A great matchup for Marsh. Bowls a combination of flatter and tossed-up deliveries and that seems to be working well. At least for now. Four off the over.

Warner dances down the track to stab this past the bowler, but gets hit on the pads. There is a bit of an appeal but it fades out as the umpire doesn’t seem interested. Another wide down leg, these extras will definitely hurt Pakistan in the chase.

An 80-metre six off another floated delivery from Usama! Warner sends the ball into the mid-wicket skies. This one’s been angled in but lacks a bit of control as it strays down leg. Warner attempts the sweep but doesn’t connect.

Marsh has punched this through cover. Four off Iftikhar’s bowling! Australia continues the march.

Back-to-back fifties for Marsh. This will be more special though since it has come on his birthday. That’s hit the roof of the Chinnaswamy Stadium... Slightly loopy and Marsh has hammered this over the head of the bowler. ABSOLUTELY HAMMERED. Time for drinks.

Seems like the ninth over all over again as Warner gets down on one leg to employ the scoop against Rauf once more. The results are identical: SIX! The frustration is starting to show as Rauf hits the deck hard to send a wide flying over the head of the batter. Rizwan does well to collect it. Another shortish delivery and Marsh picks the length early to wallop it over deep midwicket.

The leg-spinner in Usama is back. A bit of turn. Warner struggles to get a clean shot off the first two deliveries. But never mind, it is a fifty for Warner off 39 balls. The team 100 also comes up as Warner uses his feet to work this through midwicket.

Rauf switches ends, but that doesn’t work. Marsh gets into position early and whacks the wide, short delivery across. 8 RPO, hmm. I am hearing whispers of “500, 500” in the office.

Time for Usama to make up for the damage? Warner beats the solitary fielder at point to tap another into the fence. It was a googly but a bit too wide and a tad too short.

Six! Iftikhar bowls a half-tracker, which had “hit me” written all over it. It wasn’t even a full-blooded pull from Warner, but it had enough on it to land in the stands. Marsh drills one through extra cover now. Risk-free strokemaking, but so delightful to watch. And the next one’s rolled down to the fence at third man.

Time for Haris Rauf to take charge of matters. Babar wanted a traditional field with a mid-wicket and cover, but Haris insists on keeping a slip fielder. And Warner greets him with a four and six. WOW! Scythed through point, the first hit. He follows that up with a masterful scoop that soars high into the Bengaluru skies. Warner is putting Haris’ pace to good use. Oh, and it gets worse here on. A wide followed by a hattrick of fours from Marsh. That’s some way to celebrate your birthday. 24 runs come off the over.

Spin is in. Iftikhar Ahmed, right arm off-spin, into the attack. Marsh would love to take him on. Wide down leg, Iftikhar ends up overcooking a delivery he wanted to angle into the left-handed Warner. Too much room on offer and Warner wouldn’t let that slip. Punched past cover for four.

Shaheen is altering his lengths well. A maiden over. This would feel like a whiff of fresh air for Pakistan.

Rizwan saves Pakistan further blushes as he goes for a dive at full-stretch to stop what would have definitely been 5 wides. Wild experimentation, this, from Hasan. Shadab, who was dropped earlier today, for Usama is one of the better fielders around; just saying. Lightning quick outfield and one casual whip will take it to the fence. Four for Warner!

A slip in place for Warner as Shaheen returns for his third. Back-of-a-length delivery on the wickets and Warner defends. Impressive. Oh, it’s gone up... Who’s going for the catch? Usama Mir at mid-on it is... and HE SPILLS IT! You cannot drop sitters on your WC debut. A heavy top-edge and you only seldom get such opportunities on a platter. Shaheen wears a ghastly look. A boundary two deliveries later only adds insult to injury.

And that sails over the head of Usama Mir for a six! Warner shimmies away just a tad. Just gets a bit of bat on that. And that was enough to send the ball gliding over long leg. This is a comparatively smaller ground. Marsh throws his arms at one now, it will be a four.

The Bengaluru crowd is going “Shaheen! Shaheen!” as he goes for his run-up. The ball angles away down leg. Another wide. A better delivery, two balls later, as Marsh gets cramped for room. The batter ends up awkwardly defending it. Just two off the over.

Hasan Ali starts off with a dot ball. The point fielder puts in a dive to keep the next delivery down to a single. The fifth delivery strays outside off for a wide. Marsh throws the kitchen sink at the following delivery but ends up missing all of it. Just a little bit of movement there too for the bowler.

Warner and Marsh need to find their mojo back. As an opening pair, they have been averaging 28 in this tournament, thus far. Pakistan is one of Warner’s favourite oppositions though. He has scored three centuries in his last three games against Pakistan.

Shaheen has the new ball. Pakistan goes for the strangest of reviews. A huge inside edge onto Warner’s pads, it was definitely flying over. The bowler, however, convinces Babar to go for the late DRS. Another shout later in the over. No, Shaheen, you cannot do that again... Nobody is interested this time around. The noise had come from the bat hitting the pitch.

Marsh opens his account with a huge six over long-off.

Pakistan players in a huddle. Mitchell Marsh and David Warner make their way to the centre.

Pakistan up first. Cheers of “Pakistan Zindabad!” rent the air after the anthem concludes.

Pakistan wins toss, opts to bowl.

Pakistan XI: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf

Australia XI: David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

A good surface, even grass covering. It is rock hard, so the pacers stad to benefit. Not much purchase for the spinners, though. The dew has been coming on nicely as was seen in the last two nights here. That will definitely be a factor for teams deciding whether to bat or bowl at the toss.

Wicketkeepers: Mohammad Rizwan

Batters: Babar Azam (vc), David Warner, Imam-ul-Haq

All-rounders: Shadab Khan, Cameron Green, Glenn Maxwell (c)

Bowlers: Pat Cummins, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Adam Zampa, Haris Rauf

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AUS vs PAK, ICC World Cup 2023: Loss to India not the end of the world, says Hasan Ali

Pakistan Fast bowler Hasan Ali believes the fever which has spread through the team at the World Cup has been caused by being largely confined to their hotel.

Matches played: 107

Australia won: 69

Pakistan won: 34

Tied: 1

No Result: 3

Hardik Pandya has been ruled out of India’s game against New Zealand on Sunday. Read more here.

Pakistan won by nine wickets.

The teams met in Lahore in 2022 and Australia got bowled out for 210. Babar Azam scored a century (105*) while chasing. Pakistan won that three-match ODI series 2-1.

The 18th league match of the ICC ODI World Cup between Australia and Pakistan will be telecast live on Star Sports network and can be streamed on the Disney+ Hotstar app and website. The match is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. IST in Bengaluru.

Matches played - 10

Australia - 6

Pakistan - 4

Last result - Australia won by 41 runs (2019, Taunton)

AUSTRALIA: David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis (wk), Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

PAKISTAN: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Usama Mir/Mohammad Nawaz, Hassan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf

A week is a long time in politics - former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson is supposed to have said, referring to the fast-changing pace of the political landscape. The Pakistan cricket team will hope that the adage comes true in sport when it takes on Australia in a crucial World Cup encounter at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Friday.

Though Babar Azam & Co. has won two of its three matches, it is coming off a demoralising seven-wicket defeat to India. A bout of viral fever among its members and a knee injury to opener Fakhar Zaman have also hampered preparations.

Of particular concern is the form of left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi. The 23-year-old often sets the tone for Pakistan but has blown hot and cold. The lack of wickets from leggie and vice-captain Shadab Khan is also a worry.

But in skipper Babar and Mohammad Rizwan, Pakistan has proven match-winners. Along with Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq and Saud Shakeel, they should revel in the traditionally batting-friendly conditions.

For Australia, the big-ticket contest perhaps comes at the right time. After losing its opening two fixtures, Pat Cummins’ outfit looked tired and jaded. But the convincing five-wicket win over Sri Lanka has seemingly re-energised the side. The spirit was best exemplified by Adam Zampa, who scalped four wickets despite a bruised body.

Australia is however short of runs from the middle-order. The trio of Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne and Glenn Maxwell haven’t reached their usual exalted heights. For Maxwell though, the Royal Challengers Bangalore home ground is a familiar hunting ground, and if he can find his mojo, the fans are in for a treat.

Curiously, Australia has featured in all of the last five ODIs held in Bengaluru, dating back to the 2011 World Cup. David Warner, Smith, Cummins and Zampa have in fact played in the two most-recent ties (2020 and 2017). Pakistan was here last for an ODI in 1999 -- which it won -- and before that for the charged 1996 World Cup quarterfinal against India.

Form and familiarity point to Australia. Or will a week prove a long time in sport?

SQUADS

AUSTRALIA: Pat Cummins (c), Steve Smith, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Sean Abbott, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitch Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa, Mitchell Starc

PAKISTAN: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Agha Salman, Fakhar Zaman, Usama Mir, Mohammad Wasim Jr

- N. Sudarshan