Australia will take on Pakistan in the 18th match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on October 20th. Australia have endured a disappointing campaign so far, losing their first two games against India and South Africa.
Pakistan won their opening two matches before going down to arch-rivals India last time out. This is a crunch game for both sides as they aim to get their World Cup campaigns back on track with a crucial win.
Australia and Pakistan are two of the most successful ODI teams historically. Their battles have always produced enthralling contests. Australia holds a 69-34 edge over Pakistan in ODI meetings overall. But Pakistan has the talent to beat the Aussies on their day if key players like Babar and Rauf shine.
Considering both teams’ poor recent form, this match is tough to predict. But the Men in Green should be slight favorites playing in home-like conditions in India. An entertaining contest awaits between two formidable yet underperforming opponents.
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Australia Overview
Africa, they are under pressure to get a win on the board. Their vaunted batting order led by Warner, Finch and Smith has struggled while the bowling also looked lacklustre.
However, the Aussies possess world-class performers capable of turning things around. The likely return of Mitch Marsh and pace spearhead Mitchell Starc boosts them hugely. Australia also has the experience of going deep into tournaments after slow starts.
But the defending champions need their seasoned campaigners like Warner, Finch, Smith and Starc to lead from the front. Their middle-order batting needs strengthening while the bowling lacks potency. Overall, Australia must improve substantially to get their stuttering campaign back on track.
Pakistan Overview
Despite a loss to India, Pakistan have shown they aren’t overdependent on Babar and Rizwan anymore thanks to the emergence of Iftikhar and Khushdil lower down. Their real concern is the lack of incisiveness from spinners like Shadab and Nawaz who have lacked potency.
The fast bowling unit led by Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf packs plenty of firepower and wicket-taking abilities. If they can strike early, Pakistan’s batting depth can power big totals as evidenced by the win over India.
Pakistan’s World Cup hopes depend on their batting firing consistently, especially against top teams. The bowling also needs to hunt in partnerships. But the team’s knack for thriving in high-pressure games makes them a threat.
If seniors like Rizwan, Babar and Afridi hit their stride backed by the middle order, Pakistan can make a deep run. But concerns remain over their lack of balance between batting and bowling.
Australia vs Pakistan Starting XI
Expected Starting XI for Australia:
- David Warner
- Travis Head
- Marnus Labuschagne
- Steve Smith
- Glenn Maxwell
- Marcus Stoinis
- Alex Carey (wk)
- Cameron Green
- Pat Cummins (c)
- Mitchell Starc
- Adam Zampa
Expected Starting XI for Pakistan:
- Abdullah Shafique
- Imam-ul-Haq
- Babar Azam (c)
- Mohammad Rizwan (wk)
- Saud Shakeel
- Iftikhar Ahmed
- Shadab Khan
- Mohammad Nawaz
- Hasan Ali
- Shaheen Afridi
- Haris Rauf
The returns of Marsh and Starc make Australia’s XI formidable. Pakistan may opt for extra batting by including Haider Ali over Fakhar Zaman. Otherwise, both teams should field familiar combinations for this key World Cup tie.
Australia vs Pakistan Head-to-Head
results. Australia also has the upper hand in recent games, winning 4 of their last 6 completed contests including the group round match in 2019 World Cup.
Australia has won 10 of its 17 World Cup matches against Pakistan across ODIs and T20Is. They beat Pakistan in the 1999 World Cup final. Pakistan’s last World Cup win over Australia came in 2011.
Australia’s historical dominance has been built on awe-inspiring performances from batters like Ponting, Warner, Smith, Clarke. Their potent bowling led by the likes of Warne, McGrath, Lee, Johnson also dominated Pakistan over the years.
But Pakistan has the X-factor players like Akram, Akhtar, Imran Khan historically and Babar, Rizwan, Afridi now to conquer the Aussies. Considering current form and conditions, Pakistan may hold a slight edge head-to-head.
Weather & Pitch Report
The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru generally produces batting-friendly conditions. The weather will be warm and humid with temperatures around 28-30 deg Celsius on matchday.
The pitch has an even grass covering and is usually flat, offering nice carry for shot-making. The true bounce enables batting with no major movement available for pacers even with the new ball.
As the match progresses, the surface gets slower and spinners come into play. Dew may aid strokeplay in the second innings under lights. Teams prefer chasing on this ground with the pitch getting better to bat later on.
Considering the batting-friendly nature, both teams will be aiming to post 300-plus batting first. The key will be preserving wickets before attacking the bowling in the death overs.
With the likely dew factor, the captain winning the toss may opt to field first and chase down any target. An entertaining high-scoring contest is on the cards in Bengaluru.
AUS vs PAK Match Prediction
This promises to be an entertaining and hard-fought contest between two talented rivals. Considering current form and conditions, Pakistan might start as marginal favorites.
Pakistan’s batting possesses incredible depth now with the emergence of hitters like Iftikhar and Khushdil. Their pace attack led by Afridi and Rauf also offers major wicket-taking abilities.
Australia’s continued batting struggles and lack of spinners to exploit the surface makes them vulnerable. But they have the squad depth and pedigree to bounce back strongly when backed into a corner.
If Pakistan’s spinners fail to deliver again, Australia could make them pay with their long batting lineup. Similarly, Australia’s pace bowlers will be hoping to expose Pakistan’s new-look middle order early on.
Considering the stakes, expect plenty of twists and turns with the pendulum swinging throughout. Pakistan have momentum on their side but write off Australia at your peril in World Cups. We could be headed for a thriller.
Prediction: Pakistan to edge out Australia in a high-octane contest that could go either way.
Australia vs Pakistan Betting Tips
Steve Smith’s class means he can never be ruled out as top scorer. Consider betting on him finding form here. David Warner is another solid option for highest scorer if he fires. Back him to make 70+ runs. Mohammed Rizwan tends to thrive under pressure. He is a good pick for Pakistan’s top scorer.
Haris Rauf’s bowling has dominated Australia before. Expect him to take 2+ wickets.
With the batting pitch, bet on over 280+ match runs being scored across both innings. Dew will aid the chase, so back the team batting second to win. This promises to be a thriller that’s tough to predict. But Pakistan should have the edge considering home conditions and momentum.
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If you want to check out our other Cricket World Cup match predictions, you can find them on our site. In the meantime, you can check out how to bet on the Cricket World Cup.
