Pakistan skipper wins the toss and decides to field first against Australia at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Friday, October 20, 2023. Match start time is 2:30 PM PST.
There are two changes for Pakistan, Shadab in for Usama Mir; they’re trying different combinations.
Babar Azam says it looks a good pitch, and they want to take early wickets. He says they’ve had good sessions and rest days. He says they need to bat better; they need to be better against India.
Australian captain Pat Cummins says they are happy to bat first, although they would have preferred to bowl. He is pleased with the team’s energy in the field and intent with the bat against Sri Lanka. Australia has named the same XI that played in their previous match.
Australia (Playing XI): Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins(c), Mitchell Starc, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis(w), Adam Zampa and Josh Hazlewood.
Pakistan (Playing XI): Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam(c), Mohammad Rizwan(w), Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf.
Chinnaswamy pitch report
The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru is a traditionally batting-friendly pitch with short boundaries and a lot of bounce. The average first-innings score at the venue is around 250 runs, and the highest total recorded is 383/6.
The pitch has become slightly more balanced recently, but it is still a good place to bat. The ball comes nicely onto the bat with plenty of pace and bounce. The spinners can also find some purchases, but they must be accurate and consistent.
Betting odds
Australia are the clear favorites to win this match, with odds of around 1.50. Pakistan are the underdog, with odds of about 6.50. Odds are likely due to Australia’s recent strong form and superior head-to-head record against Pakistan in World Cups.