BENGALURU: Aussie openers David Warner and Mitchell Marsh’s brutal onslaught took Australia to 367/9 against Pakistan in the 18th match of the ODI World Cup 2023 at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Friday.
Babar Azam-led Pakistan won the toss and opted to field first on Friday but the decision did not go in their favour in the game.
The Aussie openers Warner and Marsh played a 259-run partnership in the first inning. Warner scored 163 runs from 124 balls with a strike rate of 131.45. On the other hand, Marsh played a 121-run knock from 108 balls with a strike rate of 112.04.
Warner smashed 10 fours and nine sixes. While Marsh slammed 10 fours and nine sixes.
The first inning did not go well for the Men in Green as they had a disappointing start to the game after losing a review in the first ball. During the game, the Pakistani fielders also dropped a few catches which cost them a huge total to chase in the second inning.
Pakistani pacer Shaheen Afridi made the first breakthrough of the game after he dismissed Mitchell Marsh in the 33.5 overs (AUS 259-1). Afridi picked up his second wicket of the inning in just the next ball and dismissed Glenn Maxwell for a duck in the 33.6 overs (AUS 259-2).
In the first powerplay, Australia scored 82 runs. Warner-Marsh took Australia to reach the 100-run mark in the 12.3 overs.
In the second powerplay of the game, Pakistan picked up three wickets and Australia scored 215 runs.
Following the dismissal of Marsh and Maxwell, the Pakistani bowling attack tried to keep a check on the run.
Usma Mir removed Steven Smith at seven runs from nine balls in the 38.1 overs (AUS 284-3)
Haris Rauf picked up the big wicket for Pakistan as he dismissed the dangerous Warner in the 42.2 overs (AUS 325-4).
Warner completed 18,000 international runs after his 163-run knock and became the only third Aussie player to do so (18,006 runs in 362 matches).
Rauf bagged his second wicket of the game after he dismissed Josh Inglis at 13 runs from nine balls in the 44.2 overs (AUS 339-5).
Afridi dismissed Marcus Stoinis at 21 runs from 24 balls in the 47.1 overs (AUS 354-6). Marnus Labuschagne was dismissed in the 48.3 overs at 8 runs from 12 balls (AUS 360-7).
In the final over of the inning, Shaheen Afridi picked up two wickets in the first two balls of the over and dismissed Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood (AUS 363-9).
Even though the Men in Green bowling attack did not perform well in the game still Shaheen Afridi picked up five wickets and gifted 52 runs. Haris Rauf gifted 83 runs and picked up three wickets. Meanwhile, Usma Mir gave away 82 runs and picked up just one wicket.
Pakistan need to score 368 runs to win their third match at the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023. (ANI)