Australia continued to punish centuries from openers David Warner and Mitchell Marsh to beat Pakistan by 62 runs in their World Cup match in Bengaluru on Friday. Australia’s total of 367–9 was built on Warner’s 163 with Marsh, on his 32nd birthday, hitting 121. Pakistan were undone by poor bowling and fielding, causing Warner to fall when he had made just 10. Leg-spinner Adam Zampa then tore through the middle order with figures of 4-53 as Pakistan were bowled out for 305 in 45.3 overs, leaving both teams with two wins and as many losses.
Thanks to the victory on Friday, Australia replaced Pakistan at the fourth spot in the points table. Meanwhile, the Babar Azam-led side dropped to the fifth spot.
Check out the updated ODI World Cup 2023 points table here:
Mohammad Rizwan (46) and Saud Shakeel (30) added 57 for the fourth wicket as Pakistan needed 168 from the last 20 overs but Pat Cummins dismissed Saud Shakeel while Zampa Rizwan, Iftikhar Ahmed (26) and Mohammad Nawaz ( 14) was responsible for. put an end to their resistance.
Pakistan were given a solid start of 134 – only their second opening hundred this year – by Imam-ul-Haq (70) and Abdullah Shafique (64).
Australia dropped Shafique, while substitute Sean Abbott spilled a simple chance over the boundary off Cummins when the opener had made 27, while the skipper then dismissed Imam from Zampa when the batsman was on 48.
But Marcus Stoinis’ short deliveries claimed both openers within the space of 20 runs, while Cummins took a beautiful catch at mid-wicket off Adam Zampa to dismiss opposition captain Babar Azam for 18.
Earlier, Warner and Marsh had compiled Australia’s impressive total.
Warner survived a leg-before appeal on the very first ball of the match and was then dropped at 10 in the fifth over, before cracking a punishing 124-ball 163 after Australia were sent on to bat on a flat Chinnaswamy Stadium -field.
Marsh hit a 108-ball 121 as the pair raced to an opening Australian World Cup record of 259 off the 34th over, to the delight of 30,000 spectators.
Warner’s innings had 14 boundaries and nine towering sixes as he and Marsh spared none of the Pakistani bowlers. Marsh’s knock was peppered with ten boundaries and nine sixes.
Their stand – just 23 short of the World Cup opening record of 282 set by Sri Lanka’s Upul Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan against Zimbabwe at Pallekele in 2011 – was helped by a poor performance from Pakistan in the field.
(With AFP inputs)
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