Bengaluru, Oct 20: Openers David Warner and Mitchell Marsh struck blazing centuries and forged a 259-run stand as Australia defeated Pakistan by 62 runs in a World Cup match here on Friday.
Thanks to Warner’s 124-ball 163 and Marsh’s 121 off 108, Australia scored an imposing scored 367 for 9 and then bundled out Pakistan for 305 in 45.3 overs at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Pakistan openers Abdullah Shafique (64) and Imam-ul-Haq (70) gave their team a good start as the duo stitched together a 134-run partnership.
But after Marcus Stoinis (2/40) accounted for the duo, spinner Adam Zampa (4/53) ran through Pakistan’s middle and lower-order to emerge the most successful Aussie bowler.
Earlier, Shaheen Shah Afridi halted Australia’s charge towards a 400-plus total, grabbing five wickets as he accounted for Marsh, Maxwell, Stoinis, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.
Earlier,Australia, who were asked to bat first, needed a dominant show to spruce up their confidence after three middling efforts that fetched two defeats and a win in this tournament, and they did it with a bang.
Left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi’s five-wicket haul (5/54) was just a sad reminder as to what other Pakistan bowlers could have done with a bit of thinking on a vastly underwhelming day.Warner, who was dropped twice on 10 and 105, and Marsh were at their marauding best against a Pakistan attack that lacked direction on a smooth M Chinnaswamy Stadium pitch with a quick outfield adding value to the shots too.
They were either too full, too short or strayed on to the legs, and the Aussie batters did not need any second invitation to exploit the flowing freebies.
All this could have been a tad different for Pakistan had Usama Mir, who replaced Shadab Khan, held on to a simple skier from Warner off Afridi, the best among Pakistan bowlers this day with his clever variations, inside the ring.Warner was on 10 then in Australia’s total of 22.
From that point, there was no looking back for the Aussies. Pakistan captain Babar Azam gave the ball to Haris Rauf in the ninth over, hoping for a breakthrough.
But the Aussies slipped into the top gear from that over. The right-arm pacer was carted for 24 runs in his first over. Warner started the carnage with a four and six and Marsh finished it with three fours in succession.(PTI)
