🏏 Cricket World Cup 2023: Match #18: Australia vs Pakistan🏏

The two 'wounded Tiger teams' in this World Cup are competing with each other today were just thrashed black and blue by India, and it takes time for them to heal.

However, if two teams are equal, they both have a history of recovering from the toughest circumstances. The encounter today is intriguing because it raises the spirits of one team and dashes the aspirations of another.

🏏 Cricket World Cup 2023: Match #18: Australia vs Pakistan🏏

After contrasting results in their last games, Australia and Pakistan will be up against each other in the ICC World Cup 2023. Both teams play their fourth game of the tournament at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru today.

Australia, after losing their first two games, won against Sri Lanka in the last match, while Pakistan, after winning their first two matches, lost to India in their last game in Ahmedabad. Chinnaswamy is known for its high-scoring pitches; thus, batters will be in the spotlight. Pakistani batters have struggled, and so have the Aussies in this tournament.

Aiming to build a winning run, Australia's Pat Cummins and Co. are here to regain their form and prove why they are still strong contenders for this World Cup! They are currently placed in the bottom half of the table, having won only once in their last three matches.

They began with a six-wicket defeat against India in their opener, and then were thrashed by South Africa in their second match, losing by 134 runs.

Against Sri Lanka, Australia had to put in a good fight in what began as a tight match but ended in a rather one-sided manner.

All eyes will be on Josh Inglis, who hogged the limelight during Australia's 216-run chase, slamming 58 runs off 59 balls packed with five fours and a six. It proved to be key as Australia reached 215/5 in 35.2 overs, with Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis adding the finishing touches.

On the other hand, Pakistan has fared better but has had an erratic campaign. Babar Azam and Co. began with an 81-run win against the Netherlands in their opener, followed by a six-wicket victory against Sri Lanka. Their winning run ended in their third fixture, losing to host India in Ahmedabad.

Despite the defeat, the Pakistan management had some positives to take back to the drawing board, including the form of captain Babar.

After poor knocks in the first two matches, Babar finally found his footing and got a half-century against India, slamming 50 off 58 balls. Meanwhile, Hasan Ali will also be key for Pakistan and is currently fifth on the wicket-takers list with seven dismissals.

It will be an interesting match to watch!!

Tag Credit: Sutapasima

Head-to-head in ODIs

Both sides have faced each other 107 times in ODI history, with Australia leading 69-34 against Pakistan, in terms of head-to-head. Meanwhile, three matches have ended without a result, and one fixture has been tied.

Head-to-head: ODI World Cup history

In ODI World Cup history, Australia and Pakistan have faced each other in 10 matches, with the former coming out on top on six occasions. Meanwhile, Pakistan have clinched four wins against Australia.

Did you know?

Each of the last six ODI World Cup encounters between Australia and Pakistan has been won by the side that lost the toss.

Australia Probable Playing 11

David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne/ Travis Head, Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis (wk), Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

Pakistan Probable Playing 11

Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Usama Mir/Mohammad Nawaz, Hassan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf

Australia vs Pakistan head-to-head

Australia and Pakistan have come up against each other in 107 ODIs. Australia has dominated the Pakistan team, winning 69 of those matches, while the Men in Green have won only 34. In the World Cup, the two have met 10 times, and Aust has won on six occasions.

Total matches played: 107

Australia won: 69

Pakistan won: 34

No result: 03

Tied- 01

World Cup latest news updates here

Travis Head seems to have recovered fully and thus he might make a return to the Australian playing 11. Pakistan would avoid two spinners at Chinnaswamy and thus a place for either Muhammad Wasim Junior or Usama Mir might open. They could also look to play an extra batter.

Former Australian batter Matthew Hayden feels that Australia should make a shift in the top order and give batting all-rounder Cameron Green the flexibility to play as an opener in place of Marnus Labuschagne, who is now batting at number four.

The five-time champions have problems throughout their lineup, as numerous batters have struggled to create good innings after two efforts, and questions persist about their selection of three frontline quicks.

Australia's scores of 199 and 177 against India and South Africa respectively, highlight the struggle they have had to put up runs on the board in the ongoing ICC World Cup

As the two teams prepare to face each other at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore today, though, you'd say the tide has certainly shifted. Even if it hasn't technically From their first three matches, Pakistan still have two wins and a loss, while Australia still has two losses and a solitary win. But it's difficult to deny that Pat Cummins & Co just seem to have the edge on the eve of the crucial encounter between the two sides.

That's what a loss to India can do to the narrative around Pakistan in a World Cup. That's what any win for Australia does to the narrative around the five-time world champions in a World Cup.

This is not to say that Pakistan have turned into a team in distress just on the basis of one defeat. But it's the nature of their collapse and the inability of their bowlers to impart any pressure on the Indians would be the biggest concern from their perspective. Either way, the match could well decide in which direction their respective journeys in this World Cup head from this point on. Pakistan at least would hope that the narratives around the two teams are just narratives and that they still haven't lost their way after the really promising start.

What to expect: Ok, Bangalore, you have fine weather. It's an admission you just have to make as an outsider the moment you arrive in this fine city. And conditions only get better once you get to the Chinnaswamy Stadium, especially if you are a batter who doesn't have to worry about bowling. Runs galore and sixes for fun has been the trend here for years. The last IPL game at this venue saw both Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli make centuries. And even though both teams have a mixed record in Bangalore-Australia are 4-5 and Pakistan 1-1-in ODIs, the toss could well have a massive bearing on what transpires in the first match of this World Cup in Bangalore.

Team Watch

Australia

Former captain turned commentator Aaron Finch was the cynosure of Australia's practice session the day before the match. He had long discussions with several of his former teammates and chief selector George Bailey. Cummins too was seen having a lengthy chat with Bailey as they walked off the ground. But you wonder what changes they could make at this stage, especially with Travis Head set to join the team later this week. Everyone has had a hit or a bowl in the last two days except Adam Zampa, though he's expected to play. The only possible change would happen if the leg-spinner does pull up stiff on the morning of the match, which would bring Sean Abbott into contention.

Tactics & Strategy:

As they left Lucknow, the Aussies had found runs in the middle order, courtesy Josh Inglis and Glenn Maxwell, and they'd also finally found a way to take big wickets in the middle overs, thanks to Cummins and Adam Zampa. Australia played a warm-up game against Pakistan two weeks ago where the openers went ultra-aggressive against the Pakistani fast bowlers. Expect the same here too. The Australian seamers have changed their tactics slightly in the last two games and started bowling a lot more cross-seamers and mixing them up with cutters once the balls begin to get scuffed up. And that's a ploy that could work against a Pakistani middle-order that hasn't fired consistently.

Pakistan

Fakhar Zaman still remains unavailable for another week while Agha Salman is recovering from an illness. The only likely change on the cards is Pakistan bringing in leg-spinner Usama Mir for Mohammad Nawaz. Mir was impressive against the Aussies in Hyderabad in the warm-up game.

Tactics & Strategy:

Pakistan's success against Australia will depend largely on their top-order getting big runs and taking the innings deep. That's where they failed against India despite getting an impressive start. What they'll also need is wickets from their spinners to complement the impact of the fast bowlers, who've also been rather inconsistent so far despite their high-billing.