Bengaluru (Karnataka): Pakistan skipper Babar Azam won the toss and opted to field first against Australia at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
In a highly anticipated cricket showdown, Australia posted a mammoth 367/9 thanks to blistering hundreds from David Warner and Mitchell Marsh. Pakistan's batting unit crumbled under the pressure of the scoreboard in response ending up 62 runs short. Adam Zampa picked four wickets for the Australian side while Pat Cummins and Marcus Stoinis picked a couple of wickets each.
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Following defeats to India and South Africa in their first two matches, Pat Cummins-led Australia returned to winning ways after registering a 5-wicket victory over Sri Lanka. Pakistan's disappointing loss to India last time out was a setback after their strong start. However, the Men in Green will have a chance to make amends when they take on five-time champions at Bengaluru today.
- 10.06 pm
Proceedings are over now as Shaheen Afridi plays a shot straight into the hands of Marnus Labuschagne at deep midwicket. - 10.02 pm
Hasan Ali also goes back to the pavilion as his mistimed scoop went straight into the wicketkeepers' gloves. - 9.53 pm
Another wicket for Zampa as Mohammad Nawaz came down teh track to attack but was beaten by a quicker delivery. Inglis dislodged the bails with ease behind the wickets. - 9.48 pm
Another one bites the dust as Usama Mir's unsuccessful attempt to play a pull was caught at deep square leg by Mitchell Starc. - 9.41 pm
Pakistan's last hope, Rizwan also walks back to the hut a Zampa cleans him up with a googly and the batter fails to connect it. - 9.34 pm
Zampa dismisses Iftikhar Ahmed LBW and Rizwan is the only hope for Pakistan now in the chase. - 9.24 pm
Iftikhar is on a role here and he blasts a six off a slower ball from Marcus Stoinis. - 9.18 pm
Iftikhar Ahmed will now have to join forces with Rizwan and play some attacking shots to ensure a victory for the team. - 9.10 pm
Saud Shakeel tries to pull a short delivery from Pat Cummins but the inside edge from his bat is caught in the 30-yard circle. - 9.06 pm
Two boundaries from Saud Shakeel against Mitchell Starc and Pakistan are still in the hunt for the target. - 8.56 pm
Rizwan smashes a boundary towards midwicket and the onus to complete the run chase is on him now. - 8.23 pm
The fall of a couple of wickets hasn't made any difference in the Pakistan batting unit's aggressive intent and the Babar-Rizwan duo is smashing boundaries every now and then. - 8.16 pm
Stoinis gets rid of the second opener as well as Imam goes aerial and plays a cut toward the backward point. However, Satrc was stationed there and he took a good catch. - 8.09 pm
Babar Azam is off to a blistering start and he has smashed two boundaries during his stay at the crease for the first five balls. - 8.02 pm
Marcus Stoinis provides Australia with a crucial breakthrough and that is a dent in the potential successful chase. - 7.52 pm
Both the openers have now reached their fifties and are taking on the Australian bowling lineup with their aggressive intent. Also, the dew factor is contributing to the cause. - 7.42 pm
Both the openers are nearing their individual fifty while Pakistan is nearing the team hundred as they have kept themselves in the chase. The required run rate is above eight runs per over. - 7.26 pm
Be it against pacers or spinner Adam Zampa, the Pakistani openers are playing their shots at will in front of a capacity. Abdullah Shafique got a life in the 12th over when he was dropped on the boundary line. While Imam has raced to 40 off 41 balls, Shafique is unbeaten on 43 so far. - 7.19 pm
Abdullah Shafique and Imam-Ul-Haq have provided Pakistan a steady start and are taking on the Australian bowlers with utmost ease on a belter. The unbroken opening stand will give confidence that Pakistan can chase the total. - 6.49 pm
Pakistani openers Imam-ul-Haq and Abhullah Shafique provided a aggressive start as they added 29 runs after four years. The two openers are dealing in boundaries and have so far struck seven boundaries together. - 5.54 pm
Cummins takes a double on the last ball and Australia signs off the first inning scoring a huge total. - 5.50 pm
Shaheen Afridi completes his five-for as he dismisses Josh Hazlewood as the batter nicks the delivery to the wicketkeeper. The left-arm pacer has scripted a late fightback denying Australia an opportunity to reach 400. - 5.47 pm
Mitchell Marsh also walks back to the pavilion as he mistimes his shot over long-off and Saud Shakeel catches it in the deep with ease. - 5.43 pm
Labuschagne pulls a short delivery from Haris Rauf and it was well timed shot. However, he was caught in the deep and Australia lost one more wicket. - 5.35 pm
Marcus Stoinis tries to play a scoop shot but misses it as a result of not reading the slower ball. The ball hit his pads in front of the pads and the umpire raised his finger without wasting any time. - 5.28 pm
Marcus Stoinis has scored 20 runs and he along with Labuschagne will now look forward to steering the scoreboard with only four overs to go. - 5.18 pm
Pakistan bowlers have picked 5 wickets in the span of 10 overs. Australia is now struggling and 400 is looking too far to achieve. - 5.08 pm
Warner walks back to the pavilion after scoring well deserved century. He made a brilliant 163 off 124 balls with 14 fours and 9 sixes. Wicketkeeper batter Josh Inglis walks into bat at number 6. - 4.50 pm
Usama Mir, who replaced Pakistan's vice-captain Shadab Khan picked up a wicket of Australia's run machine Steve Smith. Smith walks back to the pavilion after scoring 7 off 9 balls. Australia eyeing of 400 but losing wickets in quick succession. - 4.32 pm
Mitchell Marsh, who scored a century on his birthday, fell for a well-made 121 off 108 balls. Shaheen Afridi was able to break the opening partnership and provide the much-needed breakthrough for Pakistan. Marsh was caught by Usama Mir at short fine leg. Glenn Maxwell, who was promoted up the order, was dismissed on the first ball for a duck, as Shaheen got his second wicket. In walked experienced Steve Smith. - 4.12 pm
Marsh continues his carnage with a six over deep midwicket on a full-length delivery by Haris Rauf. - 4.08 pm
David Warner completes his 21st ODI ton while Marsh also makes it to the second ODI hundred of his career. - 4.04 pm
Both the openers are now racing towards their respective hundreds. - 3.56 pm
Both the openers are in no mood to slow down and they have also registered the highest opening partnership for Australia in World Cups bettering an earlier record of 183 from Shane Watson and Brad Haddin against Canada. - 3.50 pm
Both the batters are now playing with a cautious approach as they are heading towards their respective centuries. - 3.45 pm
Only a single run from the over bowled by Mohammad Nawaz and that will provide some sigh of relief for the Pakistani side. - 3.40 pm
Another six from Warner and the Australian openers are now dealing only in boundaries. - 3.30 pm
Mitchell Mash whacks a delivery in the full length and the huge hit has sailed over long-on for a maximum. - 3.25 pm
Mohammad Nawaz is introduced into the attack as the Pakistan pacers haven't been able to provide a breakthrough for the Pakistani side. - 3.15 pm
Both the Australian openers are maintaining their aggression and the Australian side is headed towards a huge total by the end of the innings. - 3.08 pm
Mitchell Marsh completes his 19th half-century. He completed his fifty in just 40 deliveries. Pakistan badly needs a wicket to get back into the game. - 3.00 pm
David Warner gets to his 32nd half-century in ODI cricket. 100 runs partnership for Australia by Marsh-Warner. - 2.50 pm
Australian openers are on fire and not letting any bowler to settle down. Both the batters are in their forty and quickly moving towards their half-centuries. - 2.44 pm
Australian openers Warner and Marsh are now only dealing with boundaries. They have scored 35 runs in the last 12 balls. - 2.33 pm
The first maiden of the match came in the 7th over of the match. Mitchell Marsh defended all six deliveries. The first bowling change as Iftikhar Ahmed came into the attack replacing Hassan Ali. - 2.30 pm
David Warner and Mitchell Marsh have given quite an aggressive start for Australia. Pakistan looking for a wicket after dropping Warner too early in the innings. - 2.20 pm
David Warner got a life after the Usama Mir standing in mid-on dropped a dolly catch. Nothing can be easier than that catch it was that easy. Everybody was shocked there was a catch drop as Shaheen Shah Afridi couldn't even believe that the catch was dropped. - 2.08 pm
Australian openers David Warner and Mitchell Marsh have provided a steady start as they have added 9/0 after the first two overs. Mitchell Marsh hammered a six off Shaheen Afridi on the fifth ball of the game. The duo would be looking to provide a good start for Australia.
Playing XI:
Pakistan: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan(wicket-keeper), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf
Australia: David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis(wicket-keeper), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins(captain), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood.
