Australia defeated Pakistan by 41 runs in a ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 game at The County Ground, Taunton on Wednesday. After being asked to bat, Australia posted 307 courtesy David Warner's 117 and skipper Aaron Finch's 84-ball 82. At one stage, it looked like the defending champions would get past 350 but Mohammad Amir's five-for brought Pakistan back in the game. In reply, Imam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Hafeez kept Pakistan's chase on track but regular wickets after the 25th over resulted in Pakistan losing their second match in the tournament. Get highlights of Australia Vs Pakistan here (SCORECARD | POINTS TABLE | FULL SCHEDULE)
22:43 hrs IST: That's it. Thank you for joining us!
David Warner, Player of the Match: "When I got out, we had 70 balls to go. As a batter, you want to bat 50 overs. We should've been around 340-350, credit to Pakistan's bowlers. Their second spells were outstanding and they made it hard for us. It was a used wicket; it was a tad dry and they bowled very straight lines to me and gave me no width. There was a bit of movement early on, so I had to be a lot tighter. This century means a lot as a batsman. Some great efforts from Pakistan. Our bowlers were fantastic but it was a great game."
22:30 hrs IST: OUT! That's it. Australia win by 41 runs. Ninth consecutive win for Australia over Pakistan in ODIs. Splendid stuff!
22:24 hrs IST: OUT! Starc shows what he's capable of. Gets Wahab 45(39) and Amir (0) in the space of three deliveries. Strikes just when his side needed it. Shaheen Afridi comes to the crease.
22:17 hrs IST: Six runs off Richardson's eighth over. Pakistan are 263/7 after 44 overs, need 45 off 36.
22:13 hrs IST: Stupendous over from Starc, only three off it. Pakistan are 257/7 after 43 overs, need 51 off 42.
22:06 hrs IST: SIX! Riaz on fire. Pakistan still fighting. This is getting interesting! Need 54 off 48. Mitchell Starc comes back into the attack.
22:02 hrs IST: SIX, FOUR! Wahab targets Maxwell and gets the reward. Good over for Pakistan, 14 off it. Pakistan are 244/7 after 41 overs, need 64 off 54.
21:57 hrs IST: Thirteen runs off the last two overs. Pakistan are 230/7 after 40 overs, need 78 off 60.
21:49 hrs IST: Important for Pakistan that somehow Sarfaraz manages to stay at the crease till the 45th over. If that happens, a close finish can be expected. Pakistan are 217/7 after 38 overs.
21:41 hrs IST: Only seven runs off the previous two overs. Pakistan are 207/7 after 36 overs.
21:35 hrs IST: Pakistan have lost five wickets in less than 10 overs.
21:32 hrs IST: "Just as they (Pakistan) start to climb back into it, a wicket falls," says Michael Clarke. Hasan Ali goes after a quick cameo. 32 off 15. Second wicket for Richardson. Wahab Riaz comes to the crease. Pakistan are 200/7 after 34 overs.
21:25 hrs IST: SIX! Flatter delivery from Maxwell, Hasan makes room and pummels it over long-on for a maximum. Pakistan are 191/6 after 33 overs. Hasan 24*, Sarfaraz 20*. Time for drinks!
21:22 hrs IST: Couple of sixes from Hasan. Pakistan need a partnership going here. They are 182/6 after 32 overs.
21:14 hrs IST: OUT! "Pakistan never cease to amaze with their unpredictability," says Wasim Akram. Richardson joins the party. Asif falls for 5(8). Hasan Ali comes to the crease.
21:10 hrs IST: Six runs off Finch's second. Pakistan are 155/5 after 29 overs. Sarfaraz 11*, Asif 4*
21:07 hrs IST: OUT! Cummins strikes again. Third scalp for him. Best in the world? On current form, YES! Malik departs for a second-ball duck. Asif Ali comes to the crease. Pakistan are 149/5 after 28 overs.
21:00 hrs IST: OUT! What has Hafeez done here! Juicy full toss from Finch, should have hit for a maximum but the Pakistani batsman doesn't get hold of it and finds Starc at deep mid-wicket. Shoaib Malik comes to the crease. Pakistan are 146/4 after 27 overs.
20:53 hrs IST: OUT! Soft dismissal. Short from Cummins, Imam looks to pull but was a bit late. Ball hits his glove and Carey took an easy catch. Sarfaraz Ahmed comes to the crease.
20:50 hrs IST: FOUR! And that's fifty for Imam. Half-volley from NCN, the Pakistani opener comes down the track and hits it over mid-off. Pakistan are 136/2 after 25 overs. Cummins again.
20:46 hrs IST: Just seven runs from the last two overs. Pakistan are 128/2 after 24 overs. Imam 48*, Hafeez 41*
20:39 hrs IST: Six runs off Starc's fifth. Pakistan are 121/2 after 22 overs. Imam 45*, Hafeez 37*. Looks like it's going to be an exciting chase.
20:33 hrs IST: Single off the last ball for Hafeez. Moves to 36. Pakistan are 115/2 after 21 overs. Starc again.
20:28 hrs IST: Fine over from Starc, three off it. Pakistan are 110/2 after 20 overs.
20:24 hrs IST: FOUR! Short and wide from Richardson and Imam hits it past point. 10 off the over. Pakistan are 107/2 after 19 overs. Australia need a wicket or two here. This pair has the potential to take the game away from them. Mitchell Starc comes back into the attack.
20:17 hrs IST: Hafeez looks in great touch. Taking full advantage of Australia's part-time spin option - Maxwell. 14 off the over. Pakistan are 97/2 after 18 overs. Time for the drinks!
20:13 hrs IST: Nine off the last two overs. Pakistan are 83/2 after 17 overs. Imam 30*, Hafeez 18*
20:07 hrs IST: NCN continues to keep things tight. Pakistan are 74/2 after 15 overs. Imam 28*, Hafeez 11*
20:03 hrs IST: FOUR! Tossed up from Maxwell, Hafeez charges down the track and lifts it through covers. Pakistan are 69/2 after 14 overs.
19:57 hrs IST: Four singles from Maxwell's first over. Pakistan are 60/2 after 12 overs. Imam 23*, Hafeez 2*
19:53 hrs IST: OUT! Short delivery from NCN, Azam goes for the pull but gets a thick top-edge, Richardson balances him well at fine leg fence and takes the catch. Mohammad Hafeez comes to the crease. Pakistan are 56/2 after 11 overs. Glenn Maxwell comes into the attack.
19:47 hrs IST: FOUR! Too straight from Richardson and Azam helps it to fine leg boundary. Pakistan are 51/1 after 10 overs. Azam 26*, Imam 20*. NCN to continue.
19:44 hrs IST: Solid start from NCN except the four leg byes. Pakistan are 46/1 after 9 overs. Azam 22*, Imam 19*
19:40 hrs IST: Ten off the last 12 deliveries. Pakistan are 40/1 after 8 overs. Nathan Coulter-Nile comes into the attack. A couple of wickets here will put Sarfaraz's side under tremendous pressure.
19:31 hrs IST: Expensive over from Starc, 12 off it. Pakistan are 30/1 after 6 overs. Imam 17*, Azam 12*. Both players dealing in boundaries. Can they stitch a big partnership?
19:28 hrs IST: Eight runs off Cummins' third. Pakistan are 18/1 after 5 overs. Azam 12*, Imam 5*
19:23 hrs IST: FOUR! Short delivery from Starc and Imam creams it over mid-wicket for his first boundary. Pakistan are 10/1 after 4 overs.
19:19 hrs IST: High-quality over from Cummins, a wicket and only four runs. Pakistan are 6/1 after 3 overs.
19:15 hrs IST: OUT! Back of a length delivery from Cummins, Zaman gets an outside edge and Kane Richardson, playing his first World Cup game, takes a nice and simple catch at the third man. Babar Azam comes to the crease.
19:13 hrs IST: Outstanding over from Starc. Maiden. Pakistan are 2/0 after 2 overs. Imam 1*, Zaman 0*. Cummins to continue.
19:09 hrs IST: Superb start from Cummins. Some movement for him. Pakistan are 2/0 after the first over. Mitchell Starc comes into the attack.
19:04 hrs IST: Time for Pakistan's chase. Imam on strike. Cummins to bowl the first over.
David Warner: "I think I left a few out there to be honest, and getting out with 70 balls to go was disappointing for me. 140-0 was good as an opening partnership, but Amir bowled really well, especially coming here and bowling a Test line and length was very brave and he got his rewards for it. There was a leak here about a week ago, but that's out of our control. We were a bit too short early in the previous games according to the pitchmaps, so we need to make them drive early on."
18:36 hrs IST: OUT! That's it. Australia fold for 307 after Warner's century. Amir ends with a five-wicket haul (his maiden in the format). Six wickets, 51 runs in the last nine overs. Join us in a short while for Pakistan's reply.
18:27 hrs IST: Very good over from Hasan Ali, removes Cummins. Mitchell Starc comes to the crease. Australia are 302/8 after 48 overs. Amir to bowl the penultimate over.
18:21 hrs IST: OUT! Wahab gets the better of Coulter-Nile. Full delivery, the Australian looks to hit it over mid-wicket but gets an inside edge and Sarfaraz takes an easy catch behind the stumps. Pat Cummins comes to the crease. Australia are 300/7 after 47 overs.
18:12 hrs IST: Another stupendous over from Amir. A wicket and five from it. Marsh departs for 23(26). Nathan Coulter-Nile comes to the crease. Australia's progress has been halted, courtesy Amir. They are 291/6 after 45 overs.
18:08 hrs IST: FOUR! Yorker length from Hasan, Carey makes room and hits it past mid-off. Australia are 286/5 after 44 overs. Marsh 22*, Carey 8*
18:03 hrs IST: OUT! Full delivery from Amir, Khawaja drives it in the air straight to the fielder at mid-off (Wahab Riaz). Alex Carey comes to the crease. Only one run off the over. Australia are 278/5 after 43 overs.
17:59 hrs IST: Eight off Hasan's seventh. Australia are 277/4 after 42 overs. Marsh 21*, Khawaja 18*
17:55 hrs IST: Costly over from Wahab, 13 off it. Australia are 269/4 after 41 overs. Hasan Ali is back into the attack.
17:51 hrs IST: And Shaheen finishes with figures of 2/70. Australia are 256/4 after 40 overs. End of the second Powerplay. Marsh 16*, Khawaja 4*. Wahab Riaz again.
17:44 hrs IST: OUT! Splendid knock from Warner comes to an end. Wanted to hit it down the ground but got a thick outside edge and Imam completes a good catch at extra cover. Usman Khawaja comes to the crease. Australia are 243/4 after 38 overs.
17:39 hrs IST: Asif Ali drops a sitter at third-man. Repreive for Warner. Turning out to be a poor day for the Pakistani. Had dropped Finch earlier in the day. Australia are 239/3 after 37 overs.
17:35 hrs IST: FOUR! That's a century for Warner. Edge between keeper and wide slip and it goes for a boundary. His 15th in ODIs. Australia are 235/3 after 36 overs.
17:30 hrs IST: Good move by Sarfaraz to have Hafeez bowling against left-handers. Just four off the over. Australia are 228/3 after 35 overs.
17:26 hrs IST: OUT! First wicket for Shaheen, gets Maxwell (20), who could have been a dangerous customer. Shaun Marsh comes to the crease. Australia are 224/3 after 34 overs. How can they score off the last 96 deliveries?
17:19 hrs IST: SIX! Fuller delivery from Hafeez, Maxwell makes space and times it over mid-off for a maximum. Classy! Easy pickings. Australia are 218/2 after 33 overs. Drinks are on the field now!
17:16 hrs IST: Six runs off Malik's fourth. Australia are 202/2 after 32 overs. Warner 89*, Maxwell 5*
17:13 hrs IST: Pakistan need more wickets here. At this rate, and with Marsh, Khawaja and Carey still to come, Australia can get past 350 easily. Warner 12 short of a century.
17:08 hrs IST: Extremely good over from Hafeez, a wicket and three runs. Australia are 190/2 after 29 overs.
17:06 hrs IST: SIX! Smith comes down the track, looks to hit it over mid-wicket but gets a leading edge and Asif Ali does the rest at extra cover. First wicket for Hafeez. Glenn Maxwell comes to the crease.
17:02 hrs IST: SIX! Short ball from Shoaib Malik (that's also a FREE-HIT), Warner goes back and smashes it over for long-on. Colossal blow! Costly over, 15 off it. Australia are 187/1 after 28 overs. Warner 80*, Smith 9*
16:57 hrs IST: Only seven runs off the last two overs. Australia are 172/1 after 27 overs. Warner 67*, Smith 8*
16:49 hrs IST: Another magnificent over from Amir, just two off it. Australia are 165/1 after 25 overs. Warner 62*, Smith 6*
16:44 hrs IST: Hasan is really struggling here. The captain or some senior player needs to have a chat with him. Australia are 163/1 after 24 overs.
16:40 hrs IST: Excellent over from Amir, a wicket and only three runs. Australia are 149/1 after 23 overs. Warner 52*, Smith 1*
16:36 hrs IST: OUT! Amir strikes for Pakistan. Slower delivery, Finch looks to hit it across the line but gets a leading edge and Hafeez completes a neat catch at covers. Steve Smith comes to the crease.
16:33 hrs IST: FOUR! That's a half-century for Warner. Both batsmen looking well-settled. Runs coming nice and easy. Australia are 146/0 after 22 overs. Mohammad Amir comes back into the attack.
16:28 hrs IST: SIX! Tossed up from Hafeez, Finch backs away and launches it into the long-on stands for a maximum. Expensive over from the Pakistan spinner, 14 off it. Australia are 136/0 after 21 overs. Hasan Ali is back into the attack.
16:21 hrs IST: Ten runs off the last 12 balls. Australia are 117/0 after 19 overs. Finch 63*, Warner 42*
Here's Shikhar Dhawan's message to his fans after being ruled out of the next two matches (at least). Definitely a big blow to India. KL Rahul will have to shoulder a big responsibility.
16:13 hrs IST: STAT ATTACK - This is the first 100-run opening partnership against Pakistan in a World Cup match in 23 years (Courtesy: Cricbuzz).
16:12 hrs IST: FOUR! That's fifty for Finch. What an innings it has been from the 32-year-old. Looks determined to get a big one here. Australia are 107/0 after 17 overs. Time for drinks!
16:07 hrs IST: FOUR! Overpitched from Shaheen, Finch comes forward and drives it past the fielder at mid-on. Enters 40s. Australia are 91/0 after 16 overs. Some spin now. Mohammad Hafeez comes into the attack.
16:03 hrs IST: Wahab keeps it tight. Australia are 87/0 after 15 overs. Shaheen again. He has given away 35 runs off his first 24 deliveries.
15:58 hrs IST: FOUR! Short from Shaheen and Warner pulls it in the gap behind square. Australia are 83/0 after 14 overs. Warner 38*, Finch 37*
15:54 hrs IST: Consecutive boundaries from Finch. Asif Ali drops the Australia captain at first slip. How costly will it prove to be? Eleven runs off Wahab's third over. Australia are 76/0 ater 13 overs.
15:50 hrs IST: Would say more than a good start for the Aussies. Not losing a wicket has been a big boost. If Finch and Warner can continue for another 8-10 overs, expect the defending champs to score anywhere around 350-370.
15:46 hrs IST: Another good over from Wahab, only four off it. Australia are 60/0 after 11 overs. Shaheen Afridi comes back into the attack.
15:42 hrs IST: FOUR! LEG BYES. This is poor bowling from Hasan. Has been leaking runs, and hasn't taken a wicket so far in the tournament. Australia are 56/0 after the first Powerplay. Pakistan desperately need a wicket here.
15:37 hrs IST: Great start from Wahab, just two off his first six balls. Australia are 49/0 after 9 overs. Warner 24*, Finch 22*. Hasan to continue.
15:33 hrs IST: FOUR! Short of a length delivery from Hasan and Warner times it through the covers. Moves into 20s. Australia are 47/0 after 8 overs. Wahab Riaz comes into the attack.
15:29 hrs IST: FOUR! Too straight from Amir, down leg, Warner works it behind deep square leg for a boundary. Looks in good form! Australia are 36/0 after 7 overs.
15:24 hrs IST: Tidy over from Hasan, only one run off it. Australia are 28/0 ater 6 overs. Finch 15*, Warner 12*. Amir again.
15:21 hrs IST: Another maiden from Amir. No margin of error. Finch struggling against him. Warner has so far faced just one delivery off Amir. Australia are 27/0 after 5 overs. First change in bowling. Hasan Ali comes into the attack.
15:17 hrs IST: FOUR! Short from Shaheen, Warner gets into position early and smacks it through mid-wicket. Two off the last delivery for the former Australia vice-captain. Costly over from the Pakistani, 17 runs off it. Australia are 27/0 after 4 overs.
15:12 hrs IST: Another impressive over from Amir. Get a feeling something is going to happen here. Australia are 10/0 after 3 overs. Warner 5*, Finch 4*. Shaheen to continue.
15:08 hrs IST: FOUR! Short of length from Afridi and Warner pulls it behind square leg for his first boundary of the day. Finch gets off the mark with a single off the last ball. Australia are 7/0 after 2 overs.
15:04 hrs IST: Good start from Amir. Maiden. Australia are 0/0 after the first over. Shaheen Afridi comes into the attack.
15:02 hrs IST: Straightaway some shape for Amir. Wasim Akram says from the commentary box "that's the length, that's the line" to bowl to the Australian captain.
15:00 hrs IST: Time for live action. Aaron Finch to take strike. Mohammad Amir to begin the proceedings.
14:38 hrs IST: Playing XIs
Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Sarfaraz Ahmed(w/c), Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Wahab Riaz, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Amir
Australia: David Warner, Aaron Finch(c), Shaun Marsh, Steven Smith, Usman Khawaja, Glenn Maxwell, Alex Carey(w), Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Kane Richardson
14:33 hrs IST: Pakistan have won the toss and have opted to field
14:20 hrs IST: The pitch (looks green) has been under covers for two days. Win the toss and field first - something Finch and Sarfaraz would be looking to do.
14:15 hrs IST: We'll have the toss in 15 minutes.
14:05 hrs IST: Against England, Pakistan looked an entirely different team from the one that turned up against the West Indies. There were healthy partnerships all the way down the top six and they were backed up by the bowlers who never let the mighty England batting line-up off the hook.
13:55 hrs IST: Pakistan and Australia have met four times before in World Cup matches in England, winning two each.
13:42 hrs IST: WHAT THEY SAID -
Australia captain Aaron Finch: "I think Pakistan are obviously a very dangerous side. We've seen consistently throughout, especially ICC tournaments, that they win a lot of games and they get themselves in a position to win the tournament. And they had a great Champions Trophy. So regardless of what kind of form Pakistan go in with, they're always incredibly dangerous."
Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed: "Our morale is very high, we have momentum. So hopefully we'll do very well against them tomorrow. We can't control the weather, but definitely if the match is shortened, the plan changes."
13:30 hrs IST: BIG NUMBER - Australia have won 14 of their last 15 ODI clashes against Pakistan, including their last eight in a row and most recently a 5-0 series whitewash in the UAE.
13:19 hrs IST: STAT ATTACK - Steve Smith has reached 50 in seven of his last eight World Cup matches.
13:12 hrs IST: Hello and welcome to Outlook's live coverage of the 2019 Cricket World Cup match between defending champions Australia and Pakistan.
Australia eased to a seven-wicket win over Afghanistan and defeated West Indies by 15 runs before losing to India, getting bowled out for 316 in reply to India’s 352/5.
Pakistan started their campaign with a seven-wicket drubbing at the hands of Windies after being dismissed for only 105, but beat England by 14 runs. Their next match against Sri Lanka was abandoned due to rain.
With showers expected today, it appears unlikely a full match will be possible at Taunton.
Pakistan have no major injury concerns. For Australia, Marcus Stoinis suffered a side strain in the match against India and has been ruled out of the clash against Pakistan. All-rounder Mitchell Marsh is all set to join Australia’s squad as a backup for Stoinis.
