CWC23: Pakistan win toss, put Australia to bat first

Pakistan captain Babar Azam won the toss and elected to bowl first against Australia in the 18th match of the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup played at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on Friday (Oct. 20).

With one win in three games, Pat Cummins-led Australia are reeling at seventh position on the points table, while Pakistan are at the fourth place, having won two of their three matches.

After losing their starting two fixtures, Australia bounced back to lay Sri Lanka to waste, bowling them out for 199 runs and then completing the chase in the 36th over.

Pakistan are under immense pressure. Although they are better placed, a heavy seven-wicket defeat to arch-rivals India is what that surely would have dented their confidence with criticism coming on to them from every corner.

Meanwhile, both teams have fitness concerns with a number of Pakistani players falling sick in the wave of the viral fever that has been going around in Bangalore. For Australia, a lone specialist spinner Adam Zampa complained of back spasms.

For today’s match Pakistan have rested Shadab Khan and brought in Usama Mir as his replacement. 

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

Pakistan Playing XI: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf

-with inputs from agencies