Bengaluru: A spirited Australia put up a clinical show to beat Pakistan by 62 runs in the league stage fixture of the ICC Cricket World Cup here on Friday. Australia first rode on centuries by David Warner and Mitchell Marsh to put up a mammoth 367/9 on the board and then bundled out the Babar Azam-led side for 305. More importantly, the win has kept the Aussies in contention for a semi-final berth.
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The Pakistan chase began on an aggressive note with the both the openers Abdullah Shafique and Imam Ul Haq slamming fifties. However, once the openers departed, Pakistan faltered to capitalise on an aggressive start and lost the plot. It was another failure for skipper Babar Azam, which would surely hurt the team management. Mohammad Rizwan tried to get the game deep but once he was dismissed, it was a matter of time and Pakistan was eventually bundled out for 305 in 45.3 overs.
Pakistan have won two while losing two and will need to win their remaining five games. Australia literally toyed with Pakistani bowling to post a mammoth 367-9 in their ICC World Cup 2023 group league match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Friday. Openers David Warner and Mitchell Marsh made the most of it by milking the Pakistani pacers.
Warner and Marsh, who has had an awful run with the bat, hit form on the day thanks to Pakistan's toothless attack. The openers clobbered every bowler to every corner of the park. Both were merciless in dealing with the Pakistan bowling. Warner hit a spectacular 163 off 124 deliveries laced with 14 boundaries and nine hits over the fences.
Marsh was the first man to be dismissed at his individual score of 121 which took 108 balls with the help of 10 fours and nine sixes. It was in the fifth over Pakistan bowler Usama Mir dropped a sitter off Shaheen Afridi when Warner was on 10 at the team total of 22. The dropped catch eventually proved costly for Pakistan and Warner never looked back since then and almost made the contest a one-sided affair.
The Australian pair added 259 for the first wicket which was 10th highest in the ODI cricket so far on a placid Chinnaswamy wicket that hardly had anything for the bowlers.
Both Warner and Marsh looked in superb nick from the outset and Pakistan bowlers were off colour throughout the day. Harris Rauf was the most expensive bowler despite claiming three wickets while Shaheen Afridi also scalped a fifer. It may be recalled that both Australia and Pakistan lost their group league matches against hosts India and are fighting to stay afloat in the multinational tourney. If Pakistan lose badly, it will be difficult for them to make it to the last four.
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