BENGALURU: Australia clinched their second consecutive win in the World Cup as they defeated Babar Azam-led Pakistan by 62 runs in a crucial match for both teams.
Australia dominated Pakistan bowlers with David Warner scoring a quickfire 163 and scoring several records in the process. Mitchell Marsh also scored a ton bringing up a huge 259-run partnership.
The 367-run target proved a little overwhelming for Pakistan who lost regular wickets after a good start from openers Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq who created a 134-run partnership. Shafique scored 64 runs from 61 balls while Imam-ul-Haq played a 70-run knock from 71 balls.
Pakistan did try to put up a fight but Australian bowlers kept up their attack.
In the first powerplay, the Men in Green scored 59 runs and reached the 50-run mark in 8.2 overs. Marcus Stoinis made the first breakthrough for the Aussies after he dismissed Shafique in the twenty-first over.
Babar Azam’s side touched the 100-run mark in the 16.4 overs and crossed 150 runs in 22.6 overs. Stoinis also removed Imam-ul-Haq with Pakistan score reading 154.
Babar Azam once again failed to make a mark as he was dismissed for 18 runs by Adam Zampa in the twenty-sixth over with Pakistan now down three wickets for 175 runs. Zampa bagged his second wicket in the form of Iftikhar Ahmed, who was out for 26 runs in the thirty-eighth over of the innings.
Mohammed Rizwan tried to chase the huge target but he was dismissed by Zampa in the fortieth over with Pakistan’s score now reading 274 for 6 wickets.
Josh Hazlewood took his first wicket of the game after he removed Usama Mir for a duck.
Zampa kept himself in the wickets and removed Mohammed Nawaz for 14 runs to get his fourth wicket of the match.
Hasan Ali was dismissed by Mitchell Starc for 8 runs in the forty-fourth over with Pakistan reduced to 301 for nine. Pat Cummins scalped the last wicket of the Men in Green to dismiss Shaheen Afridi for 10 runs with Pakistan score at 310 .
Aussie spinner Adam Zampa bagged four wickets in his 10-over spell and gave away 53 runs. Pat Cummins and Marcus Stoinis picked up two wickets each and Starc, and Hazlewood took one wicket each.
Earlier, Aussie openers Warner and Marsh played a 259-run partnership to lay a rock-solid foundation. Warner scored 163 runs from 124 balls with a strike rate of 131.45. Marsh played a 121-run knock from 108 balls with a strike rate of 112.04.
Warner smashed 10 fours and nine sixes and Marsh slammed 10 fours and nine sixes.
During the game, the Pakistani fielders also dropped a few catches which cost them.
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’s bowling attack did not perform well, Shaheen Afridi picked up five wickets and gave away 52 runs. Haris Rauf gifted 83 runs and picked up three wickets. Usma Mir gave away 82 runs and picked up one wicket.
Brief Score: Australia 367/9 (David Warner 163(124), Mitchell Marsh 121 (108), Marcus Stoinis 21 (24); Shaheen Afridi (5-54), Haris Rauf (3/83) vs Pakistan 305/10 (Imam-ul-Haq 70 (71), Abdullah Shafique 64 (61), Mohammad Rizwan 46 (40); Adam Zampa (4/53), Marcus Stoinis (2/40). (ANI)