Chinnaswamy Stadium. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)
Pakistan and Australia will lock horns against each other in match number 18 of ICC ODI World Cup 2023 at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on 20th October 2023.
Pakistan will enter the contest on the back of a thrashing loss against India in their third game by seven wickets but they did win the first two games. Babar and Rizwan were among the runs for Pakistan against their arch-rivals scoring 50 and 49 but none other than them stepped up.
They collapsed from 155/2 to 191 all out. With two wins in three games and a negative NRR of 0.137, they are placed fourth in the points table. Rizwan has been the top-run getter for Pakistan as he has so far aggregated 248 runs in three games at an average of 124 while Hasan Ali is their pick of bowlers accounting for seven wickets in three games. Pakistan would look to bounce back into winning ways when they meet Australia in the next game.
Australia, on the other hand, will head into the contest on the back of a convincing win over bottom-placed Sri Lanka. Australia lost their first two games against India and South Africa. Australia finally had two half-century scorers in their last game in the form of Mitchell Marsh and Josh Inglis.
Adam Zampa, after a few bad games, performed well in the last game as he picked up a four-fer ending the spell at 4/47 in 8 overs. With one win in three games and a negative net-run rate of 0.734, they are placed just above the Netherlands in seventh place in the points table. Australia would look to carry the winning run so as to make the contest wide open.
Australia vs Pakistan Head-to-Head:
In Overall 107 games played between the two teams, Australia dominate the contest with 69 wins over Pakistan, who have won on 34 occasions. One game ended in a tie while three ended in no result.
| Matches Played | Australia Won | Pakistan Won | Tied | NR |
| 107 | 69 | 34 | 1 | 3 |
ODI Stats and records at Chinnaswamy Stadium
In as many as 26 games played here at this venue, the pacers have picked 195 wickets at an average of 38.91 while spin bowlers have picked up113 wickets at an average of 41.62. Teams batting first have won 11 games while teams batting second have won 12 games with one game ending in a tie and two games with no results. The average first-batting score here at this venue is 260.
| Matches Played | Won Batting First | Won Batting Second | Average First Innings Score | Highest Team Totals | Lowest team Totals | Match Won after winning the toss | Match Won after losing the toss | Match Won after losing the toss |
| 26 | 11 | 12 | 260 | 383 | 168 | 12 | 11 | 329 |
X-factors between Australia and Pakistan:
Australia: Mitchell Marsh
Mitchell Marsh has been the go-to batter for Australia in the recent past and he also scored the first half-century for Australia in ODI World Cup 2023. With his ability to attack the opposition in the powerplay, he would play the key role for Australia against Pakistan.
Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan.
Rizwan has been the best batter for Pakistan in the ODI World Cup 2023, as he has so far aggregated 248 runs in three games at an average of 124. He was instrumental for Pakistan in their record chase against Sri Lanka and he his also currently in the form of his life. Rizwan’s form will be the key for Pakistan if they need to beat Australia in Bengaluru.
The Battle of Bigs to Watch Out For:
Glenn Maxwell vs Hasan Ali:
In an overall three innings battled between the two players, Glenn Maxwell has scored 35 runs at an average of 17.50 and has struck at 120.68 while Hasan Ali has picked two wickets and has bowled 13 dot balls in 29 balls.
Mohammad Rizwan vs Adam Zampa:
In six innings battled between the two players, Rizwan has scored 58 runs at an average of 19.33, while Adam Zampa has picked up three wickets and has bowled 28 dots in 73 balls. Zampa will be the key in middle overs to stop Rizwan’s scoring.
Australia vs Pakistan Probable X1s:
Australia: David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa.
Pakistan: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan/ Usama Mir, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf