CWC2023::Pakistan Slip Out Of Top 4 After Loss To Australia.

Delhi: Australia defeated Pakistan by 62 runs in their World Cup match on Friday in Bengaluru thanks to brutal centuries from openers David Warner and Mitchell Marsh. With Marsh scoring 121 on his 32nd birthday and Warner scoring 163 to help Australia reach its final score of 367-9. Warner was dropped after just 10 runs by Pakistan because to poor bowling and fielding, which contributed to their defeat. After bowling Pakistan out for 305 in 45.3 overs, leg-spinner Adam Zampa destroyed the middle order with figures of 4-53, leaving both teams with two victories and an equal number of defeats. 

Glenn Maxwell fell for a golden duck, while Steve Smith failed to move the scoreboard much. Warner registered Australia’s third-highest individual score in ODI World Cups, before being dismissed by Haris Rauf after scoring 163 runs off 124 balls, smashing 14 boundaries and nine sixes.

None of the other Australian batters really stamped their authority on the game as Afridi and Rauf pulled the run-rate back in the death overs. With 325 for 3 on the board in the 43^rd over, Australia managed to add just 42 runs while losing six wickets, ending the innings with 367 for 9 on the board.

Afridi was the pick of the Pakistani bowlers, claiming his second five-wicket haul in ODI World Cups. He ended up with five wickets while giving away 54 runs in 10 overs.

Pakistan openers Abdullah Shafique and Imam ul-Haq got them off to a strong start in the second innings. The two openers struck a 134-run stand and scored at a positive rate to keep Pakistan in the game

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 accounted for Rizwan, Iftikhar Ahmed (26) and Mohammad Nawaz (14) to end their resistance.

Australia player of the match David Warner: “For us to go out there and put in a performance and a score on the board like that is very pleasing.

“I felt like I was ticking along and was just one bit of luck away. It helps when you’re hitting the ball out of the middle. Playing on a ground like this, you’ve got to take those chances. Every run’s valuable too and part of my DNA is running fast between the wickets.

Pakistan captain Babar Azam: “We dropped David Warner and batters such as him ensure they cash in. We have to give credit to the quicks and spinners for coming back in the last 15 overs. They hit their lengths and the stumps.

“We started well with the bat and we had small partnerships but needed big ones in the middle. We have to get up to the mark in the first 10 overs with the ball and then partnerships in the middle overs with the bat.”