Match 18, Bengaluru, October 20, 2023, 02:00 PM

367/9(50.0ov)
305/10(45.3ov)

Australia beat Pakistan by 62 runs

That is it from this game. Valuable two points for Australia. We have two games lined up for Saturday, 21st of this month. Netherlands will take on Sri Lanka while England will face South Africa later on. Join us at 10.30 am IST (5 am GMT) and early on for the build up. Cheers.
Pat Cummins says it was a great win. Adds the opening stand set the tone and it was the type of cricket they wanted to play. Shares it is tough to bowl at this ground but the bowlers need to stick to get wickets. Mentions Zampa showed his class. Tells the benchmark is set from the last two games and are looking forward to the next game.
Babar Azam says they were not up to the mark in the field and with the ball as well. Adds the margin of error is very small. Reckons he is happy the way they bowled in the last 15 overs. Reckons they need few partnerships in the middle over. They had a few today but were small ones. Hopes to get things done in the next match.
David Warner is the Player of the Match. He says the groin is a little bit sore but feels fine. Adds it was pleasing to put on a stand with Marsh, once they got the pace of the wicket, they targeted their bowlers. Reckons he backed his skills. Believes he was one bit of luck away from scoring runs. Tells he talked with Marsh to bat deep and then go big in the backend. Feels there is still a lot to work in their team. States it is in his DNA to run hard between the wickets.
...Presentation next...
Australia didn't bowl well at the start. Just like Pakistan, they were sloppy and dropped catches but a quick turnaround saw the game tilt towards the Aussie team as Marcus Stoinis and Adam Zampa turned things with quick wickets. Adam Zampa though was the pick of the lot with four wickets. While batting, it was a carnage from Mitchell Marsh and David Warner. Both put on a stand of 259 and put Pakistan completely off. That opening stand tired the Pakistani team who didn't recover quickly after the beating. Pakistan will be disappointed with not just their bowling but fielding as well.
Both the innings were quite similar in this game. The openers laid the foundation for both of them. Pakistan though were under pressure as they had to chase a humongous target. The openers did the job by giving a blistering start. Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq fell in quick succession after scoring respective fifties. However, Pakistan failed to hold the momentum as the other batters got off to a start but didn't stay out for a long period of time. Mohammad Rizwan looked solid along with Iftikhar Ahmed but once both fell, Pakistan fell apart and it was all over.
Job done by the Aussies. It was not an easy victory as Pakistan were in it for a long period of time but Australia bowled well in the middle and death phase to get the job done. Two wins for Australia after their sloppy start to the campaign.
In over# 46
0W
4
0
Pat Cummins 62/2(7.3)
45.3
W
OUT! GONE! The skipper finishes the job. This is short and outside off. Afridi again pulls but flat and to deep mid-wicket where Marnus Labuschagne takes it in the deep. Australia win by 62 runs.
45.2
4
FOUR! SMASHED AWAY! Shorter and on middle, Afridi hangs back and pulls it over to mid-wicket for a boundary.
45.1
.
Length ball, outside off. Afridi cuts and misses.
In over# 45
0
0W
4
0
1
4
Mitchell Starc 65/1(8)
44.6
.
On a length and on middle, Rauf nudges it to mid-wicket.
Haris Rauf is the last man in.
44.5
W
OUT! GONE! Something to cheer for Starc! Bowls it short and on middle, Ali gets across to pull but gets a faint edge to the keeper who makes no mistake.
44.4
4
FOUR! A full toss on off. Ali swings and edges it away to third man for a boundary.
44.3
.
Short in length and outside off, Ali leaves it alone again.
44.2
1
A bumper on middle, Afridi pulls it to square leg for a single.