In a thrilling match at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore, Australia managed to put up a formidable total of 367 runs, thanks to a magnificent 259-run opening partnership between David Warner and Mitchell Marsh. However, Shaheen Afridi’s brilliant five-wicket haul for Pakistan prevented Australia from reaching the 400-run mark.
The game promised a run-fest right from the opening over, with Marsh launching Shaheen Afridi for a six. The fate of the match could have been different had Usama Mir not dropped an easy chance from Warner. This let the Australian openers dominate, with Warner and Marsh taking on Haris Rauf with boundaries and sixes.
Even the part-time off-spin of Iftikhar Ahmed couldn’t stop the Australian onslaught, as they scored 82 runs in the powerplay. Warner maintained a strong strike rate throughout his innings, while Marsh accelerated after reaching his half-century.
Despite some signs of hope from Usama Mir, it was not enough to halt Australia’s progress. By the halfway point, Australia had reached 172 runs, and the hunt for Pakistan’s opening breakthrough continued. In a historic moment, Warner and Marsh became the third opening pair to score centuries in the same World Cup game, reaching their milestones in successive deliveries. Warner’s century was also his fourth consecutive one against Pakistan.
As expected, both batsmen continued their aggressive approach, with Shaheen Afridi being Pakistan’s standout bowler. He dismissed Marsh and Glenn Maxwell in consecutive deliveries, and Steve Smith fell to Usama Mir, but Warner kept going.
Warner’s explosive innings featured his eighth six, taking him past 150 in ODI cricket for the seventh time in his career. Australia appeared set to reach the 400-run mark at 297/3 after 40 overs, but Warner’s dismissal for 163 shifted the momentum in Pakistan’s favor.
Despite a challenging finish, Australia believed they had enough on the board to secure the win. In the end, Australia posted 367/9 in their 50 overs, with Shaheen Afridi finishing with impressive figures of 5/54 for Pakistan.
