Bengaluru, M. Chinnaswamy Stadium – In a thrilling World Cup encounter on Friday, David Warner and Mitchell Marsh, the dynamic opening duo, unleashed a relentless assault on Pakistan. Their scintillating partnership yielded an impressive 259 runs for the first wicket.
Warner, displaying his prowess, notched his 21st ODI century in style, reaching the milestone off a mere 85 deliveries. His innings was embellished with seven fours and a remarkable six sixes. Meanwhile, Marsh celebrated his 32nd birthday with a century of his own, taking 100 deliveries to compile a superb ton adorned with 10 fours and six maximums.
Warner had a stroke of luck early on when he was dropped by Usama Mir off the bowling of Shaheen Shah Afridi, with the Australian opener having only amassed 10 runs. However, this reprieve proved costly for Pakistan.
The jubilant partnership was finally broken when Marsh was dismissed for an impressive 121 runs. Mir redeemed himself with a crucial catch off the bowling of Shaheen.
Pakistan made a strategic change to their lineup, introducing Mir in place of the leg spinner Shadab Khan, who was part of the team that suffered defeat against India. In contrast, Australia remained unchanged after securing their first victory in the tournament against Sri Lanka, following two initial setbacks.
At present, Pakistan boasts two wins and one defeat, positioning them as a formidable contender in the World Cup.
The Lineups:
Australia: Mitchell Marsh, David Warner, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuchagne, Josh Inglis (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Marus Stoinis, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (capt), Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
Pakistan: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Usama Mir, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf
Officiating the Game:
Umpires: Chris Brown (NZL) and Richard Illingworth (ENG)
TV Umpire: Michael Gough (ENG)
Match Referee: Richie Richardson (WIS)
