AUS vs PAK Match Preview
Australia is the most successful team in the history of the ODI World Cup and has lifted the title for a record five times. However, they weren’t off to the best start in this edition after losing back-to-back matches against India and South Africa. They did manage to pull things back a bit in their latest fixture as they defeated Sri Lanka.
However, Pakistan has a stronger squad compared to the Lankans and the former world champions will need to put a better effort in this match. The batting has been a bit of a letdown for Australia so far. David Warner, who was in good form in the build-up to this tournament, has struggled to convert his starts into big innings, and so has Steve Smith.
Marnus Labuschagne has been the most consistent batsman for the Australians but they will need a better effort from the likes of Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis lower down the order. Josh Inglis and Mitchell Marsh scored individual half-centuries in the last match and will hope to carry forward with their form.
Coming to the bowling, Mitchell Starc has been the most consistent of the lot, picking up wickets in each of the 3 matches played. He will look for support from Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins.
Adam Zampa bowled a brilliant spell in the last match, picking up 4 wickets. As the wickets get progressively slower, his role will be crucial for Australia’s success.
On the other end, Pakistan had an excellent start, winning consecutive matches at the start of the tournament. However, they were brought down to the knees by the Indian juggernaut as Pakistan offered a meek surrender. Nevertheless, the team has had plenty of time for introspection and will look to iron out the issues.
Pakistan has a strong set of players but they will need to learn to soak the pressure and perform well even when things aren’t seemingly going their way. Mohammad Rizwan is in excellent form and is the top scorer of the tournament so far.
Abdullah Shafique scored a century on his World Cup debut and can prove to be a dependable performer in the opening slot, especially as Fakhar Zaman struggles to score runs. Two of Pakistan's best batsmen, Babar Azam and Imam Ul-Haq have failed to make an impact on the proceedings. Their return to form will be crucial for the team’s success.
Despite the unavailability of Naseem Shah, Pakistan has a strong pace battery. Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf, and Shaheen Shah Afridi have picked up 16 wickets between them. The spin attack hasn’t been up to the mark and they will need to bring Usama Mir into the mix sooner rather than later.
Weather Report
We are likely to see some scattered clouds in the sky throughout the day but there is no forecast of rain. The temperature will remain below the 30-degree mark. There will be some humidity and dew might come in during the second inning.
Pitch Report
The toss doesn’t seem to play much of a factor at Bengaluru as teams batting first and second enjoy similar rates of success. However, we feel that bowling first might be a good option on this ground as chasing under the lights will be easier, especially with the wet outfield.
The pitch is likely to be good to bat on as the ground has seen an average first-inning score of 294 in the last 5 matches. The team batting first will look to break the psychological 300-run barrier to put the opposition under pressure.
The spinners have generally fared well here but gripping the ball might be a problem during the second inning.
Notable stats
Glenn Maxwell's excellent record against Pakistan
Maxwell has scored the most runs among the current Australian squad against Pakistan. He has scored a total of 735 runs at an average of 52.50. His knocks include 7 half-centuries in 16 innings.
Team News
As many as 5 Pakistan players were down with fever at the start of this week but most of them should recover in time for this match.
AUS vs PAK Probable 11
AUS Playing 11
- David Warner
- Mitchell Marsh
- Steve Smith
- Marnus Labuschagne
- Josh Inglis (Wk)
- Glenn Maxwell
- Marcus Stoinis
- Pat Cummins (C)
- Mitchell Starc
- Josh Hazlewood
- Adam Zampa
PAK Playing 11
- Abdullah Shafique
- Imam Ul-Haq
- Babar Azam (C)
- Mohammad Rizwan (Wk)
- Shadab Khan
- Mohammad Nawaz
- Iftikhar Ahmed
- Shaheen Shah Afridi
- Saud Shakeel
- Hasan Ali
- Haris Rauf
Dream11 Prediction
We are backing Australia to win this match. While they weren’t off to the best of starts in this tournament, they slowly seemed to be getting their rhythm back. They have a good record against Pakistan, winning 10 of their last 12 matches against them, and have never lost to them at a neutral venue since August 2012.
Top Picks
Mohammad Rizwan: Rizwan has been Pakistan’s top batsman over the past few months. He has scored at least 40 runs in 7 of his last 8 innings and is the top run-getter of this tournament so far.
David Warner: David Warner has scored centuries in each of his last 3 matches against Pakistan and averages 52.00 against them.
Adam Zampa: Zampa picked up a 4-wicket haul in the last match. He has picked up 12 wickets in the last 6 matches against Pakistan.
AUS vs PAK Dream11 Team 1
Keeper: M Rizwan (C)
Batters: D Warner, B Azam, M Marsh, M Labuschagne
All-rounders: G Maxwell (VC), S Khan
Bowlers: M Starc, S Afridi, A Zampa, H Ali