The captain of the Australian cricket team, Pat Cummins, expressed his confidence that the team’s top order will perform well in the upcoming match against Pakistan at the World Cup. Cummins stated that the batting-friendly wicket in Bengaluru will provide the ideal platform for scoring plenty of runs, as the team aims to improve their previous performances in which they failed to surpass 200 runs. While Australia won their last game against Sri Lanka and moved up to seventh place in the standings, their top order has struggled to make significant contributions.
So far, Marnus Labuschagne is the only Australian batsman to have scored more than 100 runs in the tournament. Recognizing the need for improvement, Cummins emphasized the importance of the team’s performance in Bengaluru, where the average score for the team batting first in the last three ODIs has been 335.
Cummins spoke highly of the batting potential in Bengaluru, describing it as a high-scoring venue with a smaller field. He praised Mitchell Marsh and David Warner for their aggressive approach in the previous game and highlighted the team’s collective effort in preparing for the upcoming matches.
Pakistan, who currently sit fourth in the standings, began the tournament with two victories before suffering a defeat against India. Cummins acknowledged Pakistan’s strong and well-structured team, identifying Mohammad Rizwan and captain Babar Azam as their main batting threats. He also acknowledged the skills of Hasan Ali, who has been Pakistan’s most successful fast bowler in the tournament with seven wickets.
With regards to Australia’s bowling strategy, Cummins confirmed that Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood will continue to open the bowling, despite Sri Lanka and South Africa achieving century opening partnerships against them. Cummins expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance in the initial overs, citing the missed opportunities and close calls that contributed to their lack of wickets.
Rohith Nair reporting from Bengaluru; edited by Ken Ferris.
