Pakistan won the toss and opted to bowl first in the match. However, the move backfired as Warner (163 off 124) and Marsh (121 off 108) added a mammoth 259 runs, the second-highest opening partnership in the history of the World Cup. Pakistan had to pay a huge price for their slack fielding. Warner could have been out as early as the fifth over as he top-edged a pull off Shaheen Afridi. Usama Mir, however, dropped a sitter, and, in hindsight, the match at mid-on.
Warner and Marsh were completed dominant on the Pakistan bowling after the early reprieve as boundaries came at will. Warner was the first one to reach three figures, his 21st ODI ton. At the other end, Marsh celebrated his 32nd birthday with his second one-day hundred.
The brilliant stand was broken when Marsh flicked Afridi to short fine leg, where Mir took a sharp catch this time. Glenn Maxwell perished for golden trying to take on Afridi from the word go. Steven Smith’s poon run continued as he chipped a return catch to Mir, having made 7 off 9.
Warner and Marcus Stoinis added (21) added 41 for the fourth wicket. The partnership was broken when the former’s brilliant knock came to an end. He attempted to go after Haris Rauf (3/83) but ended up being caught in the deep. Afridi continued Pakistan’s fight back and completed a five-fer by dismissing Stoinis and a couple of lower order batters. Eventually, Australia finished with 367/9 after looking good for 400 at one stage.
Pakistan got off to a promising start in the big chase as openers Abdullah Shafique (64 off 61) and Imam-ul-Haq (70 off 71) added 134 runs for the first wicket. However, Stoinis sent both of them back to the pavilion. Zampa (4/53) then had Babar Azam (18) brilliantly caught by Pat Cummins, diving to his right at midwicket. Saud Shakeel (30), Iftikhar Ahmed (26) and Mohammad Rizwan (46) all got starts, but could not carry on.
Zampa trapped both Iftikhar and Rizwan leg before. The wickets kept crumbling after that as Pakistan were bowled out for 305 in 45.3 overs. The end came when Afridi (10) was caught in the deep off Cummins (2/62).
--By A Cricket Correspondent
