WORLD CUP: AMIR’S 5-WICKET HAUL SEES AUSTRALIA ALL OUT FOR 307
By Muhammad YaseenPublished On 04 Jan 2023
TAUNTON (9 News) – Australia set 308-run target for Pakistan in their fourth match of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 on Wednesday.
Mohammad Amir takes 5-30 as Australia collapse against Pakistan.
Australia centurion David Warner: “I think I left a few out there. The second spell from Mohammad Amir was fantastic. We have got to come out and bowl Test match line and length and be very disciplined. “The pitch is good. We have got to put it up there and make them drive.
“If we start well and take early wickets it will be very difficult. We have to respect the opposition and bowl well.”
Australia maintained a steady strike rate, comfortably scored 307 runs for the loss of all wickets by the end of 48 overs, as Pakistani bowlers fought back patiently against the defending champs’ middle-order.
Australia’s 146-run opening partnership between Aaron Finch and David Warner disintegrated after a breakthrough by left-arm quick Mohammad Amir. Finch tried to smash Amir for a boundary but got caught out by Mohammad Hafeez in the 23rd over with 82 runs off his opening partnership with David Warner (61).
He was succeeded by shamed Australian star Steve Smith, who is back in action following a year-long ball for his role in the ball-tampering scandal that rocked Australia during their tour of South Africa in 2018.
There were fears that Pakistani cricket fans would boo Smith after a large number of Indian fans chanted “cheater” at him at The Oval against India on Sunday. But there has not been a single boo for either Smith or Warner in Taunton. The latter had also faced a 12-month suspension by Cricket Australia for his part in a ball-tampering scandal during a 2018 Test match in South Africa.
Asif Ali caught Smith out for 10 off a delivery from Hafeez in the 29th over. His successor, Glenn Maxwell, was bowled by Shaheen Shah Afridi, who then went onto take Warner’s all-important wicket in the 38th over after a century came up for the Aussie batsman.
Warner edged between wicketkeeper and slip for a boundary and took off to punch the air to celebrate his first century since returning to Australia’s team following his ban. He stroked 11 boundaries and a six from 102 balls to reach his hundred in the 36th over of the match.
Mohammad Amir struck again in the 43rd over, getting Usman Khawaja to send a drive straight to Wahab Riaz on the circle at mid-off. Two overs later, he had Shaun Marsh caught at long off by Shoaib Malik.
Shortly after, Sarfaraz caught Coulter-Nile off a delivery from Wahab in the 47th over. In the next over, Hassan Ali got PJ Cummins out. Hassan’s short ball caught Cummins by surprise. The pace was too much, and it was an easy catch for Sarfaraz.
A yorker bowled by Amir in the 49th over got Alex Carey out on LBW.
Australia survived a probing opening spell by Amir after being sent in to bat by Pakistan. Roared in by chants of “Amir, Amir” from the Pakistan fans in the crowd, the left-armer was on target right from the first ball of the match.
That first over was a maiden and Amir bowled two in a four-over spell in which he conceded a mere 11 runs.
Finch should have been out for 26 in the 13th over when he edged Wahab Riaz, one of three left-arm quicks in the Pakistan side, only for first slip Asif Ali to drop a head-high chance that burst through his hands before going for four. At the end of the over, Finch was 35 not out and left-hander David Warner 33 not out.
Earlier, Pakistan won the toss and elected to bowl against Australia at Taunton in the 17th match of the World Cup.
Key Players
Babar Azam (Pakistan): Babar Azam has put up consistent performances at No.3 ever since he’s arrived in England. The right-hander, with his solid technique and fluent stroke-play, will look to hold the Pakistan innings together against the quality of Australia’s pace attack.
Glenn Maxwell (Australia): With his immense skills, and clean ball-striking abilities, Maxwell is capable of changing the flow of any cricket match. The right-hander averages 55 against Pakistan, and with scores of 71, 98 and 70 in his previous three outings against them, he will once again aim for a match-winning contribution on Wednesday.
Conditions:
A dry and cloudy start to the day is expected, but chances of rain thereafter might result in a shortened game. With the pitch expected to offer some assistance for fast bowlers early in the day, captains would be tempted to field first.
Squads
Pakistan: Sarfaraz Ahmed (capt & wk), Imamul Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Wahab Riaz, Hassan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Amir.
Australia: Aaron Finch (capt), David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Steven Smith, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Alex Carey (wk), Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Kane Richardson
