AUS vs PAK Preview: Australia face Pakistan in a high-stakes encounter

The action will continue in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 as Australia will take on Pakistan in Match 18 of the tournament on Friday, October 20 at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. Pakistan are coming into the game having been hammered by arch-rivals India by seven wickets in their previous fixture. They are ranked on the fourth spot on the points table with two wins from three matches having four points to their name.

On the other hand, Australia finally tasted victory in their previous game against Sri Lanka by five wickets after back-to-back losses against India and South Africa. They are ranked on the sixth spot on the points table with one win from three matches having two points to their name.

Notably, Australia have had an upper hand over Pakistan in ODI World Cup having won on six occasions out of the ten times the two teams have faced each other. The upcoming fixture promises to be an action-packed affair for the fans as Pakistan last beat Australia by 2-1 in the last ODI series contested between the two teams. Hence, the Babar Azam-led side will be eager to return to winning track by beating the five-time champions.

Pitch Report

In the last five matches played at the venue, three have been won by teams batting first. The average first innings score has been 307 while the highest target chased is 287. The pitch has been a belter of a track to bat on in its history, hence big runs are expected in the upcoming fixture. The captain winning the toss is likely to bowl first.

Probable Playing XI