In a World Cup warm-up clash in Hyderabad, Pakistan’s Babar Azam showcased his brilliance with a breezy 90, while Iftikhar Ahmed shone with an impressive 83. Despite their efforts, the 1992 champions couldn’t stop Australia from securing a 14-run victory. The Australian batsmen had a successful outing, with Glenn Maxwell (77), Cameron Green (50 not out), Josh Inglis (48), David Warner (48), and Marnus Labuschagne (40) contributing to a total of 351-7 in 50 overs.
Babar Azam was the standout performer for Pakistan during the chase, smashing 11 fours and two sixes. However, he retired after facing 59 balls, and Pakistan fell short despite a classy 50 from Mohammad Nawaz.
The final score saw Pakistan fold for 337, handing Australia the win. Both teams will be satisfied with their batting performances as they prepare for the upcoming tournament.
Pakistan’s stand-in captain, Shadab Khan, commented, “The result is not important. We took a lot of positives. Our attitude was good. The result is not in our hands. I think our starting eleven is sorted, and we wanted to give time to the bench to show their skills.”
Australia’s skipper, Pat Cummins, expressed his contentment with his team’s performance ahead of their opening match against India, saying, “We’re looking in better shape. Mitchell Marsh bowled well, same with Maxwell and Mitchell Starc. Just about everyone contributed in the middle, Green and Inglis were brilliant at the end.”
Meanwhile, in another warm-up match in Guwahati, Afghanistan’s Rahmanullah Gurbaz played a match-winning innings, scoring an unbeaten 119 to help his team secure a six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka via the DLS method.
Unfortunately, the match between India and the Netherlands in Thiruvananthapuram was abandoned due to persistent rain, denying the hosts a pre-tournament warm-up. However, India remains high on confidence after recently defeating Australia in a three-match series, despite their recent rain-affected matches.
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