Exceptional opening stand inspires Australia to win over Pakistan

David Warner and Mitchell Marsh hit a mammoth opening partnership to set up Australia for a 62-run victory over Pakistan in Bengaluru.

Warner top-scored with a brilliant 163, with Mitchell Marsh hitting an excellent 121, with the openers adding 259 runs together – the second-highest opening stand in men’s Cricket World Cup history and a record at the tournament for Australia.

But Shaheen Shah Afridi helped Pakistan get some control back in the game, finishing with a five-wicket haul to limit the total to a large but not un-chaseable 367/9

Australia’s total was temporarily at risk when Pakistan’s openers put on a big partnership of their own.

But such a huge target was always likely to be a challenge, and it was Adam Zampa and Marcus Stoinis who did much of the damage with the ball as wickets tumbled in the second half of the innings.

Victory means that Australia have recovered well from a poor start to the tournament, with Pat Cummins’ side now level on four points with Pakistan and well in the mix for one of the semi-final qualification spots.

Match 18: Australia beat Pakistan by 62 runs
Australia made the most of a good batting wicket in Bengaluru after being asked to bat first by Babar Azam, but were the recipients of some fortune early in the innings

Shaheen Afridi unleashed a confident leg-before appeal against David Warner off the very first ball of the game, but couldn't convince the umpire, with the review showing that the batter had a big inside edge.

But Warner survived another more significant scare in the fifth over, when Usama Mir shelled a straightforward chance on the on-side with the opener on just 10.

Warner kicked on after his reprieve, with Haris Rauf’s first over going for 24 runs, including a spectacular six from a crouched Warner, which went deep into the stands, before Marsh finished the over with a hat-trick of boundaries.

Pakistan’s spinners could do little to halt the scoring rate, as Warner and Marsh set up a big platform. Warner reached his fifty in the 13th over, with Marsh achieving that milestone in the 15th over, and by the mid-innings stage all six Pakistan bowlers had been hit for a boundary by the duo. 

The scoring rate increased yet further as the innings went into its second half, with Warner and Marsh plundering 87 runs off the next 52 balls.

But it was the returning Shaheen Shah Afridi who finally brought a breakthrough for Pakistan, getting Marsh caught at short fine leg for a 108-ball 121.

One wicket brought two, as Glenn Maxwell – promoted to number three – tried to loft the pacer off the very next ball, but could only reach Babar at mid-on.

Australia’s remarkable start had set up a terrific platform, but the middle order struggled to take advantage, with Steven Smith the next to depart for seven from nine balls.

Warner threatened to surpass his own highest ODI score as he continued to rack up the runs, but was finally undone by one of his big shots, holing out off Haris Rauf for a majestic 163 (124 balls).

Pakistan’s recovery continued apace, inspired by Rauf and Shaheen, with only Josh Inglis able to score at better than a run-a-ball in the final 12 overs.

Marcus Stoinis (21), Inglis (13), Marnus Labuschagne (8), Mitchell Starc (2) and Josh Hazlewood (0) all departed, as Pakistan’s pace duo ripped through the tail.

Shaheen twice took two in two balls across the course of the innings, finishing with 5/54 from his ten overs, while Rauf bounced back well from his disastrous first over to finish with figures of 3/83.

And while Australia’s total of 367/9 would have been a challenging one for any team to chase down, Pat Cummins’ side would have hoped to kick on yet further after that huge opening stand to completely bat Pakistan out of the game.

For a few hours, it looked like the crowd in Bengaluru were set to see a huge finish.

Pakistan’s chase got off to a super start, with openers Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq taking advantage of some wayward bowling in the first five overs, particularly from Mitchell Starc, who went for 28 off his first three.

The scoring rate slowed as Josh Hazlewood and Adam Zampa tightened things up, with a big chance going down off the bowling of Pat Cummins.