WC 2023: Australia Clinches Victory Over Pakistan in High-Scoring Encounter at Chinnaswamy
Bengaluru, 20th October 2023: The 18th ODI match of the ICC ODI Cricket World Cup 2023 unfolded at the historic M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, featuring an anticipated high-scoring contest between Pakistan and Australia. In line with the venue’s reputation, the match lived up to expectations, concluding with Australia triumphing over Pakistan by a formidable margin of 62 runs. The win now positions Australia with back-to-back victories in this edition of the World Cup, granting them a crucial momentum boost.
Pakistan won the toss and elected to field first, eager to put their bowlers to the test. Australia’s openers, David Warner and Mitchell Marsh, made a fiery start, setting the stage for a remarkable match. David Warner displayed his prowess with an impressive 163 off 124 deliveries before a substitute fielder, Shadab Khan, managed to secure a catch off Haris Rauf’s delivery. Meanwhile, Mitchell Marsh recorded a century, contributing a significant 121 off 108 balls, but was eventually caught by Usama Mir off Shaheen Afridi’s delivery. However, the rest of Australia’s batting lineup struggled to make an impact, culminating in a total of 367 runs for the loss of 9 wickets after 50 overs, with the majority of runs attributed to their opening pair.
From Pakistan’s bowling department, Shaheen Afridi shone with a remarkable 5-wicket haul in his 10 overs, conceding only 54 runs. Haris Rauf also managed to claim 3 wickets, albeit at a higher economy rate, while Usama Mir secured 1 wicket.
In pursuit of the daunting target of 368 runs, Pakistan made a steady start. Abdullah Shafique demonstrated his prowess with 64 runs off 61 balls before Glenn Maxwell made the crucial catch off Marcus Stoinis’s delivery. Imam ul Haq contributed 70 runs off 71 balls before being caught by Mitchell Starc off Marcus Stoinis’s delivery. However, Pakistan’s skipper, Babar Azam, struggled to make an impact, and Mohammad Rizwan added 46 runs off 40 balls before falling to an lbw decision from Adam Zampa. While Saud Shakeel and Iftikhar Ahmed made modest contributions, the remainder of Pakistan’s batting order failed to make a significant impression, resulting in their dismissal with a total of 305 runs in the 46th over.
From Australia’s bowling contingent, Adam Zampa excelled, securing 4 wickets in his 10 overs while conceding only 53 runs. Captain Pat Cummins and Marcus Stoinis managed to capture 2 wickets each, and Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood each took 1 wicket.
Looking ahead, the tournament schedule features two fixtures for tomorrow. The first match, scheduled to commence at 10:30 a.m., will witness the clash between the Netherlands and Sri Lanka at Ekana Sports City in Lucknow. The second encounter, commencing at 2:00 p.m., will showcase defending champions England taking on South Africa at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, marking Wankhede’s inaugural match in this World Cup edition.
