AUS VS PAK - 18th Match, ICC Cricket World Cup 2023

Australia were right at the bottom of the table not too long ago, but now they've jumped into the top four with back-to-back wins! Pakistan have gone the opposite way of starting with two wins, and then facing consecutive losses. It was a run-fest today at the Chinnaswamy, as it so often is. The pitch didn't have much in it for the bowlers, but we did see standout performances from the likes of Shaheen Afridi and Adam Zampa. Even Josh Hazlewood was superb, although he picked up just the one wicket. It was that opening stand of 259 from Warner and Marsh though that really propelled Australia to a very strong position. Pakistan, from that point, were playing catch-up cricket, which they did appreciably but fell short eventually. So that's all from here. Hope you enjoyed our coverage. Until next time, it's goodbye!

Most wickets in World Cups
71 - Glenn McCGrath
68 - Muttiah Muralitharan
56 - Lasith Malinga
55 - Wasim Akram
55 - Mitchell Starc

Highest opening partnership aggregates in an ODI
398 - SL vs ZIM, Pallekele, 2011
393 - AUS vs PAK, Bengaluru, 2023
377 - IRE vs WI, Dublin, 2019
368 - ENG vs SL, Leeds, 2006
341 - IND vs SL, Rajkot, 2009

Most sixes in a World Cup game
33 - ENG vs AFG, Manchester, 2019
31 - NZ vs WI, Wellington, 2015
31 - SA vs SL, Delhi, 2023
25 - AUS vs PAK, Bengaluru, 2023
22 - PAK vs ZIM, Kingston, 2007
22 - WI vs ZIM, Canberra, 2022

Australia bowlers with consecutive 4-plus wicket hauls in World Cups
2 - Gary Gilmour, 1975
2 - Shane Warne, 1999
2 - Mitchell Johnson, 2011
2 - Brett Lee, 2011
2 - Mitchell Starc, 2019
2 - Adam Zampa, 2023

Cummins: Great win. Always pretty tough playing here at Chinnaswamy but good win. Set the tone (those two - Marsh and Warner) of how we want to play our cricket. That's the thing sometimes in ODI cricket. You get one breakthrough and sometimes it's hard for the new batter. Saw Stoin coming in, hit the pitch hard and provide the breakthrough. Zampa showed his class. He's a real wicket-taker for us in the middle. Have a 3-4 day break, need to keep up the benchmark from the last couple of games.

Babar: Were not up to the mark with the ball. And if you drop the catch of someone like Warner, he won't spare you. This is a big scoring ground, margin of error is very less. Whole credit to fast bowlers and spinners for the way we pulled it back in last few overs. Just tried to hit the length and hit the stumps. Message was simple - we can do it, we've done it in the past. Ball came on well under lights. Couldn't get big partnerships in the middle overs. Need to be better in the first 10 overs with the ball, and better in the middle overs with the bat.

David Warner | Player of the Match: It (groin) is a little bit sore, all cramps at the moment, that's all it is. It (partnership with Marsh) was awesome, once we got the pace of the wicket, we were going to try and target their bowlers. For us to go out there and put a performance like that is very pleasing. Committing and backing my skills, I had a good hit yesterday, it was ticking along, I was just one bit of luck away and it helps when you're hitting the ball out of the middle. Playing on a ground like this as well, you got to take those chances. Just to get out there and build a partnership with Mitch today. We spoke about trying to bat till 35 overs at least and then probably score heavily in the back end. From our perspective, there's a little bit of tinkering there we got to work on, we lost 5 or 6 wickets in the last 10. Every run is valuable, part of my DNA is to run hard between wickets, I have always done that and I'll always continue to keep doing that as long as I keep playing.

22:09 Local Time, 16:39 GMT, 22:09 IST: Pakistan have lost their last six wickets for just 36. They were right in the chase with 103 required in 12 overs, and with Iftikhar and Rizwan going strong. But Zampa turned it around with a match-winning spell for Australia. He was brilliant earlier as well, getting rid of Babar and not giving much away. But his final spell was even better as he trapped both Iftikhar and Rizwan LBW in consecutive overs, before sealing the deal by having Nawaz stumped. The platform was set for Pakistan after the opening stand of 134 between Shafique and Imam. The two of them couldn't kick on for hundreds like Warner and Marsh earlier in the day, but they laid the base for the rest to follow on a pitch that remained a belter throughout the day. However, the middle order just couldn't take the game deep enough. There were some lovely shots from Shakeel, Iftikhar and Rizwan, but Australia, chiefly through Zampa, kept finding a way to take wickets. So it's their second consecutive win as they bounce back strongly from a poor start to the campaign. Hang on, we'll have the presentations shortly.

Cummins to Shaheen Afridi, out Caught by Labuschagne!! All over! Slower one dug into the pitch, Afridi advances and belts the pull through midwicket, but Labuschagne holds onto a superb catch in the deep. It was going quickly and flat over his head, but he pedals back and hangs onto a screamer with the reverse cup. Australia win by a comfortable margin in the end. Shaheen Afridi c Labuschagne b Cummins 10(8) [4s-2]

Cummins to Shaheen Afridi, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

Cummins to Shaheen Afridi, FOUR, short ball outside off, Afridi goes for the pull and connects brilliantly! He's whacked it through midwicket and bounces just short of the ropes

Cummins to Shaheen Afridi, no run, slower length ball on middle, Afridi looks to slog but is through the shot early. It bounces over the top of middle

Pat Cummins [7.0-0-58-1] is back into the attack

Starc to Haris Rauf, no run, good length on middle, slanted in, Rauf hangs back and defends

Vijay: "Stats never disclose the full picture, 650+ runs scored and Hazelwood going at 3.7rpo is a testament to his skill."

Haris Rauf, right handed bat, comes to the crease

Starc to Hasan Ali, out Caught by Josh Inglis!! Starc's record is intact! Short of length, angled in from round the wicket, Hasan Ali walks across to pull and gloves it to the keeper. Starc hasn't gone wicketless in a single WC game yet, and he won't go wicketless tonight either. Hasan Ali c Josh Inglis b Starc 8(8) [4s-2]

Starc to Hasan Ali, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

Starc to Hasan Ali, FOUR, full toss on off, Hasan Ali backs away, swings hard and it flies off the edge past the keeper

Starc to Hasan Ali, no run, banged in short from round the wicket, Hasan Ali ducks under it. He's being peppered with the short balls from both ends