ODI World Cup 2023: Australia's strongest predicted playing XI against Pakistan

Australia (AUS) are scheduled to face Pakistan (PAK) in the 18th match of the ICC World Cup 2023 on Friday, October 20. The game is set to commence at 2 pm IST and it's going to be the first game of the 2023 ODI World Cup at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

Pakistan began their campaign with impressive victories over the Netherlands and Sri Lanka. In their match against Sri Lanka, Babar Azam's team achieved a historic milestone by successfully chasing down the highest total in World Cup history. However, their winning streak came to an end with a disappointing seven-wicket loss to arch-rivals India at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

In contrast, Australia had a challenging start to their ODI World Cup journey. They suffered defeats against India and South Africa in their first two matches before bouncing back with a convincing win over Sri Lanka. The match between Pakistan and Australia promises to be an intense battle as both teams aim to stay in contention for a spot in the semi-finals.

Here's Australia’s Predicted XI against Pakistan:

Openers: David Warner, Mitchell Marsh

David Warner is set to lead the batting order for Australia, having scored 41,13, and 11 in the first three matches, he would be looking to end his poor run of form with bat and showcase his batting masterclass against Pakistan. To secure victory in the upcoming game, Warner's performance will be crucial, particularly since he has yet to reach a half-century in the tournament.

After registering a duck in the game against India and managing seven runs from 15 deliveries against South Africa, Mitchell Marsh proved himself with a brilliant fifty against Sri Lanka. He will have to continue his form with the bat if the Australian team want to achieve great success in the tournament.

Middle Order: Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (WK)

Steve Smith is slated to occupy the third batting position. The Australian team have bigger expectations from the experience of Smith but he hasn't been able to deliver so far in the tournament. Even in the last game against Sri Lanka, he was dismissed for a duck. He will be looking to showcase his batting prowess in this game against Pakistan.

Marnus Labuschagne earned his spot in the World Cup squad to replace Ashton Agar due to his impressive recent batting form. Labuschagne contributed with 40 runs against Sri Lanka in the last match and would be looking to continue his form with the bat.

Australia took a calculated risk by including Josh Inglis instead of Alex Carey against South Africa. Unfortunately, this decision did not yield the desired results, as the wicketkeeper-batter was dismissed for just five runs when Kagiso Rabada bowled him in the match but he showcased his prowess with a brilliant fifty against Sri Lanka and would be looking to continue his good form.

Also Check: Most Runs in ODI World Cup 2023

All-Rounders: Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell

Australia had to select either Cameron Green or Marcus Stoinis as the all-rounder in the team. Stoinis got the nod over Green in the South Africa match, but it wasn't fruitful. Since both players have similar skill sets and only one can be chosen, the Australian team are looking to go with Stoinis's experience. Stoinis will have to bring his 'A' game if Australia want to win one more ICC title.

Maxwell will assume the number-five position in the batting order. This marks his fourth appearance in the World Cup 2023, and his team is relying on him to be a game-changer. However, Maxwell's previous performances in this tournament were underwhelming, but he played a quick-fire 31 off 21 balls against Sri Lanka in the last match and showcased his prowess.

Bowlers: Pat Cummins (C), Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa

Pat Cummins is set to occupy the eighth batting position, providing an extension to the batting lineup. In the match against India, Cummins managed to accumulate 15 runs from 24 balls and conceded 33 runs in nearly seven overs. Against South Africa, he contributed 22 runs from 21 deliveries but was a bit expensive, with figures of 71 runs from his bowling spell. But in the last game against Sri Lanka, he showcased his real prowess and took two important wickets to restrict the opposition team to a low total.

Mitchell Starc will take the ninth position in the batting lineup. He played a crucial role by scoring 27 runs from 51 balls, rescuing his team from a precarious position of 70/6 and against South Africa, helping them reach a total of 177. He bowled well in the last match against Sri Lanka and took two crucial wickets. Starc has a remarkable track record in World Cups, having taken more than 50 wickets, and his performance will be vital for Australia against Pakistan.

Josh Hazlewood will assume the role of the third seamer in the team. He is known for claiming the early wickets and his ability to extract extra bounce off the surface makes him a real threat to any opposition team.

Adam Zampa had a tough outing in the tournament so far but in the last game against Sri Lanka, he showcased his real prowess with the ball and took four crucial wickets to restrict the opposition team to a pretty low score. He will be a key bowler in the match against Pakistan.

Also Check: Most Wickets in ODI World Cup 2023

Australia's Predicted XI:

David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins (C), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood