Babar’s heroics in vain as Australia win warm-up match

In a thrilling encounter, Australia emerged victorious against Pakistan by 14 runs in the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup warm-up game held at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.

Chasing a target of 353, Pakistan put up a spirited chase but fell short by 14 runs.

Despite losing their openers early, the Men in Green staged a remarkable comeback. Skipper Babar Azam led from the front, scoring a brilliant 90 runs off just 59 balls. He was ably supported by Iftikhar Ahmed, who played a knock of 83, including six fours and four sixes.

Following Babar’s departure, Mohammad Nawaz took over the reins, smashing a quickfire 50 off just 42 balls. Usama Mir and Hasan Ali also added valuable runs in the final overs, but their efforts were not enough to take Pakistan over the line.

On the bowling front, Marnus Labuschagne was the pick of the bowlers for Australia, taking three crucial wickets.

Earlier, Australia’s batting lineup showed no mercy to the Pakistani bowlers. Glenn Maxwell, the star of the innings, played a remarkable knock, scoring 77 runs off 71 balls, including ten boundaries. Josh Inglis also contributed significantly, accelerating the innings in the last 10 overs with a quick 48 off 30 balls, boasting a strike rate of 160.

The Australian team had a strong start and were on track to hit the 100-run mark without losing a wicket. However, Usama Mir of Pakistan picked up two crucial wickets in consecutive overs, removing openers David Warner and Mitchell Marsh for 48 and 31 runs, respectively.

For Pakistan, Usama Mir was the pick of the bowlers, taking two wickets. Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jr., and Shadab Khan each claimed one wicket. Despite claiming a wicket, Rauf had a tough game, conceding 97 runs in just nine overs.

It’s worth noting that Shadab Khan led the Pakistani team in the absence of regular captain Babar Azam, who may only play as a batter. Mohammad Haris replaced Mohammad Rizwan as the wicketkeeper.

In their first warm-up match, Pakistan posted a colossal total of 345 against New Zealand. However, despite the massive total, Pakistan lost by five wickets as New Zealand chased down the target in just 43.4 overs due to a subpar bowling display by the Green Shirts. On the other hand, Australia’s warm-up match against the Netherlands was called off due to rain.

The ICC World Cup 2023 warm-up matches consist of 50 overs per side. However, these matches won’t have ODI status because teams will have the flexibility to include all 15 members of their squad in the playing XI.