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An “us against the world” attitude has put Australia back in the race for the World Cup after David Warner and Mitchell Marsh blasted them to a 62-run victory over Paksitan in Bengaluru.
Warner and Marsh unleashed magnificent tons at the top of the order as the Aussies looked on course for 400 at one stage before posting 9-367 on the back of their record-breaking 259-run opening stand.
No player epitomises the backs to the wall, fight your way out of a corner mentality more than Warner who has been forced to defend his ongoing selection in the final months of his international career.
But he proved his critics wrong with a belligerent innings to lift Australia to a 2-2 record, which lifts Australia into fourth spot behind unbeaten leaders New Zealand and India, with South Africa (3-1) in third.
India are red-hot favourites to lift the Cup on home soil but the Aussies at least now are playing with an intensity which can put them in the contest if they face the host nation again in the semis or final.
Mitch Marsh. (Photo by Matthew Lewis-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)
Marsh belted 121 off 108 deliveries, including 10 fours and nine sixes, to be the first to go in the 34th over while Warner soldiered on before he was finally out for 163 from 124, finding the boundary 14 times and clearing it on nine more occasions.
After their lacklustre losses to India and South Africa to start the tournament, Australia turned their fortunes around with a lift in intensity in their win over Sri Lanka and they were again noticeably more energised in all facets of play as they put away Pakistan.
Babar Azam’s side did not die wondering in their run-chase – Abdullah Shafique (64) and Imam-ul-haq (70) put on 134 for their first wicket inside 22 overs and they kept within striking distance for most of their innings but regular wickets eventually brought them undone.
After the frontline bowlers failed to make the initial breakthrough, all-rounder Marcus Stoinis (2-40) got rid of both openers before Pat Cummins (2-62) and Adam Zampa (4-53) kept the wickets flowing as Pakistan were bowled out for 305 in the 47th over.
Warner looked to be hampered by an ongoing groin problem but after the match insisted it was “all cramps”.
His regular opening partner Travis Head could be available for Australia’s next assignment against the Netherlands at Delhi on Wednesday after flying into camp with his broken hand nearly healed.
A stone-faced David Warner celebrates his century after his trademark leap against Pakistan at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
With the Australian campaign back on level footing, the selectors could give him an extra match to get his hand right with a showdown against New Zealand at Dharamsala looming next Saturday.
When he is brought into the side, the selectors are likely to drop Marsh back to No.3 and send Steve Smith back a slot with Marnus Labuschagne squeezed out of the line-up.
Stoinis cemented his spot with his two-wicket contribution – he dismissed Shafique with his opening delivery and tempted Imam-ul-Haq to deep third man.
Zampa has been ill and was still bothered by his back problem but after taking the big scalps of Babar (18) and Rizwan (46) in his four-wicket spell, Cummins was hugely impressed.
“Lazarus has been awesome,” the captain said with a smile
“He has been in bed the last week or two. Showed his class, he is a real wicket-taker for us in the middle.”
For the centurions, it was Warner’s 21st, which puts him eight behind all-time leader Ricky Ponting, while Marsh had not reached triple figures in the ODI arena since 2016, with his third ton coming on his 32nd birthday.
Fittingly, they brought up their milestones in back-to-back deliveries in the 31st over with Marsh following up Warner’s single with a superb cover-drive to the boundary.
Warner was the beneficiary of an amateurish piece of fielding in the fifth over when Usama Mir fumbled a sitter at mid-on from the bowling of Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Usama was then tonked for 1-82 from nine overs when he bowled while Afridi was easily Pakistan’s best bowlers to bag 5-54.
“That was proper from those two,” Cummins said of his openers.
“It set the tone, it’s how we want to play our cricket. To take 80-odd in the powerplay was impressive, we can’t ask for anything more than that.”
After appearing way too casual, particularly in the field, in their first two matches, the Australians have hit their stride and while there are still obvious flaws in their line-up, they are now in with a fighting chance of winning the World Cup just a week after it looked like they wouldn’t even make the semis.