Australia beat Pakistan by 62 runs in the 18th match of the Cricket World Cup 2023 in Bengaluru on Friday evening.
Chasing a challenging 368-run target, Green Shirts were all out for 305 runs in 45.3 overs.
Abdullah Shafique (64) and Imam-u-Haq (70) provided a solid start with 134 runs partnership. The departure of both the openers and skipper Babar Azam (18) at the halfway stage put Pakistan on the back foot.
Middle-order and lower-middle-order batters have starts but no one could score big.
In the end, the target was too big and Pakistan were all out on 305 runs.
Mohammad Rizwan made 46 runs, Saud Shakeel 30, Iftikhar Ahmed 26, Mohammad Nawaz 14 and Shaheen Shah Afridi 10 runs.
Adam Zampa bagged four wickets, Pat Cummins and Marcus Stoinis two each and Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood got one wicket each.
David Warner was named player of the match.
After being put in to bat first by skipper Babar Azam, Australia made a roaring start with a 259 runs-opening partnership between David Warner (163) and Mitchell Marsh (121).
At this stage 400 plus runs total was apparently on the card but the Pakistani bowlers led by Shaheen Shah Afridi came back strongly to restrict Australia to 367/9 in the allotted 50 0vers.
Marcus Stoinis made 21 and Josh Inglis 13 runs. No other batter could reach double figures.
Shaheen Shah Afridi bagged five wickets while Haris Raus took three and Usama Mir one wicket.
Pakistan Playing XI: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Nawaz, Iftikhar Ahmed, Usama Mir, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf
Australia Playing XI: David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (capt), Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
