It wasn’t pretty at times, but they got the job done.
Australia survived an almighty scare in Bengaluru on Friday evening, defeating Pakistan by 66 runs despite another middle-order collapse, wayward bowling in the Powerplay and an assortment of dropped catches.
David Warner and Mitchell Marsh blasted hundreds on the flat wicket at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, combining for Australia’s highest opening partnership in World Cup history as the five-time champions posted 9-367.
Warner, dropped by Usama Mir in the fifth over of the innings, finished with 163 (124), the highest score of the World Cup thus far, while Marsh cracked a career-best 121 (108), achieving the feat on his 32nd birthday.
None of their teammates scored more than 21 as the Australians lost 9-104 in a horrific 93-ball collapse, with Pakistan speedster Shaheen Afridi taking a five-wicket haul.
MATCH CENTRE: Australia vs Pakistan scorecard
At one stage, Pakistan looked poised to chase the record 368-run target after openers Abdullah Shafique (64 from 61 balls) and Imam-ul-Haq (70 from 71 balls) cracked rapid fifties.
However, Stoinis knocked over both openers in a game-changing spell before leg-spinner Adam Zampa ran through the middle order, claiming four wickets as Pakistan was bowled out for 305.
After a disastrous start to the tournament, Australia now sits fourth on the World Cup standings.
Pakistan burn review on the first ball | 00:39
Pakistan captain Babar Azam won the toss and elected to bowl first, but wasted a review on the opening delivery of the match. Afridi pleaded for an LBW decision against Warner to be sent upstairs, but replays showed the left-hander had smacked the ball onto his pad.
In the fifth over, Warner was handed a massive reprieve on 10 after top-edging a pull shot against Afridi, with Mir dropping the regulation chance at mid-on — it proved a decisive moment in the match.
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WARNER UNLEASHES! Dropped catch haunts | 01:09
After a patient start, Warner and Marsh picked up the tempo towards the end of the Powerplay, finding the boundary rope with ease. Warner somehow managed to sweep Pakistani quick Haris Rauf over deep fine leg for a monstrous 98-metre six, with the Melbourne Stars cult hero conceding 24 runs in his opening over of the match.
Warner brought up his half-century in 39 deliveries, with Marsh reaching the minor milestone in 40 balls. Pakistan’s spinners briefly stemmed the flow of runs in the middle overs, but the Australian openers looked in complete control, taking advantage of the fast outfield and short boundaries.
With a vocal Indian crowd cheering him on, Warner brought up his 21st ODI hundred in just 85 deliveries, celebrating with a trademark Toyota leap and an Allu Arjun-inspired dance move. It was his fifth century in World Cups, equalling the national record alongside former Australian captain Ricky Ponting.
Marsh reached his hundred the very next delivery, punching the air and beaming with delight as he embraced Warner — it was his first ODI century since 2016.
The lethargic Pakistanis continued to be plagued by lazy misfields. In the 33rd over, Shafique left the field with a finger injury after dropping a tough chance at cow corner, gifting Warner another life on 105. The veteran opener rubbed salt into the wounds by slapping the following delivery for six.
Afridi returned to the attack in the 36th over and snared the long-awaited breakthrough for Pakistan, with Marsh flicking a full delivery off his pads directly towards short fine leg, where Mir held onto a low catch. Glenn Maxwell, promoted to No. 3, fell for a golden duck after attempting a wild slog against Afridi the following delivery, with Azam swallowing the high chance. It was the Victorian’s first golden duck in ODIs since September 2014.
Mir found the outside edge of Steve Smith’s bat in the following over, but Azam bottled the low chance at first slip, giving the right-hander an extra life on 1. However, Mir got his man a couple of overs later, with Smith chipping a return chance back to the leg-spinner for 7.
Warner’s demolition came to an abrupt end in the 43rd over, miscuing a lofted shot against Rauf that substitute fielder Shadab Khan caught at long-on. Afridi and Azam congratulated the 36-year-old before he trudged back to the sheds, having plundered 14 boundaries and nine sixes.
Australian wicketkeeper Josh Inglis struck a couple of classy boundaries before feathering a catch through to rival gloveman Mohammad Rizwan, becoming Rauf’s second victim of the afternoon.
Courtesy of some superb death bowling from Rauf and Afridi, Australia lost 6-42 from its final 47 deliveries — the left-armer trapped Stoinis on the pads plumb LBW for 21 (24) before Marnus Labuschagne nailed a pull shot towards deep mid-wicket for 8 (12).
Afridi secured his third ODI five-wicket haul by removing Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood in the final over of the innings, finishing with figures of 5-54 from ten overs.
Pakistan’s run chase got off to a fast start, with openers Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq cracking 40 runs from the first five overs, punishing some wayward bowling with the new ball.
Australian captain Pat Cummins created a chance in the 12th over when Shafique top-edged a pull shot towards substitute fielder Sean Abbott at deep square leg. However, the reserve bowler parried the ball over the rope, screaming in frustration after gifting the right-hander an extra life on 27.
Australia’s frustration grew in the 18th over when Cummins put down a chance at mid-wicket off Maxwell’s bowling, handing Imam-ul-Haq a huge reprieve on 48.
The Pakistani openers combined for a 134-run stand, with Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq reaching their fifties in 52 and 54 balls respectively.
However, Stoinis snared the much-needed breakthrough for Australia with his first delivery of the match, cramping Shafique with a bouncer that was chipped towards Maxwell at mid-wicket.
The West Australian struck again in his following over, with Imam-ul-Haq flashing at a short delivery that flew towards deep third man, where Starc held onto a smart catch.
Azam looked in fine touch before falling victim to Zampa, awkwardly pulling a length delivery towards mid-wicket, where Cummins grabbed a lunging catch to his right. The Pakistan skipper marched off for 18 (14), and Australia was back in the box seat.
Rizwan and Saud Shakeel steadied the ship, putting together 67 for the fourth wicket before Cummins returned to the attack in the 35th over, removing Shakeel for 30 (31). However, momentum again swung in Pakistan’s favour when Iftikhar Ahmed clobbered back-to-back sixes against the Australian captain.
Cummins redeemed himself a couple of overs later by successfully reviewing an on-field LBW decision against Iftikhar, who departed for 26 (20) after replays showed Zampa’s delivery had grazed the right-hander’s front pad. The leg-spinner snared the prized scalp of Rizwan in his following over with a quicker, flatter delivery that trapped him leg before. A desperate review couldn’t save the Pakistani wicketkeeper, gone for 46 (40).
Hazlewood joined the party at the other end, dismissing Mir for a third-ball duck after hooking a bouncer towards Starc at deep fine leg.
The rest of Pakistan’s tail toppled like dominoes — Zampa removed Nawaz stumped for 14 (16) to finish with 4-53 from ten overs, before Starc and Cummins wrapped up the match in the 46th over.
Australia will next face the Netherlands at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday, with the first ball scheduled for 7.30pm AEDT.