ICC World Cup: Australia on Top Despite Shaheen Double Blow

Australia made the most of a good batting wicket in Bengaluru after being asked to bat first by Babar Azam. David Warner and Mitchell Marsh crossed 200 runs in the 30th over. They had already surpassed Australia's best effort for the first wicket in the Cricket World Cup. The previous best was 183 by Brad Haddin and Shane Watson in 2011.

The stand was finally broken for 259 runs.

Australia openers made the most of Pakistan errors on the cricket field. Shaheen Afridi unleashed a confident leg-before appeal against David Warner off the very first ball of the game. He couldn't convince the umpire, but got his skipper to review the call. It turned out that the batter had a big inside edge, and Pakistan lost the review.

Warner survived another scare in the fifth over, when Usama Mir shelled a straightforward chance on the on-side. In the meanwhile, both the batters managed to take off on a decent batting wicket.

Their best during the first Powerplay came in Haris Rauf's opening over, which was taken for 24 runs. This included a spectacular six from a crouched Warner, which went deep into the stadium. His partner, Mitchell Marsh, finished the over with a hat-trick of boundaries.

The introduction of spin had minimal impact on the proceedings as Warner and Marsh went about their ways. They kept finding the gaps and dispatching the loose delivery outside the ground. Warner reached his fifty in the 13th over, whereas Marsh achieved that milestone in the 15th over. At the mid-innings stage, all six Pakistan bowlers had been hit for a boundary by the duo.

The Australia duo seemed unstoppable after the 25 over mark. They added 87 runs off the next 52 balls.

It was Shaheen who finally brought a breakthrough for Pakistan, getting Mitchell Marsh caught at short fine leg. One brought two, as Maxwell tried to loft the pacer off the very next ball, but could only reach Babar at mid-on.

Babar Azam called it right at the toss, and elected to field in Bengaluru.

There was one change into the Pakistan side, with leg-spinner Usama Mir coming in place of Shadab Khan. Australia played the same XI that featured in Lucknow.

While Pat Cummins’s men are boosted by the outcome in Lucknow, a loss to Pakistan would be a particularly significant blow to their knockout chances.

And the Men in Green would like to return to winning ways after a below-average outing in Ahmedabad.

A win for either side would propel them into the top four of the points table.

Also Read: ICC World Cup: Australia Blaze Off To Spectacular Start in Bengaluru