It’s not the kind of campaign defending champions Australia would have hope do enjoy at the 2019 ICC World Cup. After a comfortable win over Afghanistan in the opener, the Aussies were made to stretch the distance against the West Indies before being comfortably beaten by one of the pre-tournament favourites, India. It’s on the make of this confusing run that they come to Taunton to take on Pakistan.
As if their form so far was not a concern big enough, the Aussies were dealt another blow on Tuesday when all-rounder Marcus Stoinis was ruled out to an injury. Though Mitchell Marsh has been flown in as a replacement, it reamins to be seen how the team management plans to include him in the scheme of things.
But their problems don’t stop there. Opener David Warner is yet to find his scoring touch that has made him one of the most feared batsmen on his generation. And his slow scoring rate was a huge cause of concern for his side, especially against India where they were chasing a target in excess of 350. While a lot was expected of his on pitch where the ball come on to the bat without much trouble, the left-hander could muster just 56 at a poor strike rate of 66.66. The Aussies will hope that Warner soon finds his touch before it’s too late for his side.
Challenging the champions on Thursday will be one of the most unpredictable sides of the competition, Pakistan. The 1992 winners were blanked by the West Inides in their first game, but bounced back in fine manner to outmuscle hosts England in a high-scoring affair a few days later. And with their previous game being washed out without a single ball being balled, the Pakistanis will be eager to get on to the field.
One of the stand out performers for Sarfraz Ahmed and his side has been their bowlers. Against England, the Pakistani bowlers were on fire pushing and probing the English batsmen at will. It would be interesting to see how the Aussies react to some top-quality pace attack on Thursday. But with slight drizzle forecasted for the game at Taunton, one can only hope that we get to enjoy 100 overs of cricket before the clouds decide to open up.
Feature image courtesy: AFP Photo/ Dibyangshu Sarkar
