NEW DELHI: In a World Cup campaign that has yet to reach full throttle, both Australia and Pakistan find themselves in need of reinvigorating their cricketing DNA. Australia's meticulousness and Pakistan's explosiveness must shine through in batting and bowling to elevate their respective campaigns.
Pakistan, known for their fearless cricket in pressure situations, faltered against India, losing by seven wickets with little fight. Their victory against Sri Lanka, chasing 345, came on a batting-friendly pitch, making it an unreliable indicator of their form.
Now, they face Australia, who may not be India but remain a formidable opponent with a historical edge in ODIs and World Cups.
For Pakistan, improvement starts at the top of the order, where Imam-ul-Haq has scored just 63 runs in three matches. He must provide better support to Abdullah Shafique, who replaced the struggling Fakhar Zaman.
Captain Babar Azam's form is also erratic, making a solid contribution necessary against Australia's potent pace attack. Additionally, Pakistan must address their over-reliance on Muhammad Rizwan in the middle-order. Batsmen like Saud Shakeel and Iftikhar Ahmed need to find consistency.
In the bowling department, Pakistan misses injured pacer Naseem Shah and must hope for Shaheen Shah Afridi to regain his form. Leg-spinner Shadab Khan has been ineffective; Usama Mir could replace him.
Australia, on the other hand, face an even more precarious situation after losses to India and South Africa. Victory over Sri Lanka was a small step toward the knockout stage, but their batting lineup remains a concern.
Apart from Josh Inglis, no Australian batsman has scored a fifty in the tournament. Marnus Labuschagne is the only one with more than 100 runs in total. Mitchell Starc has more runs than key batters like Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, David Warner and Mitchell Marsh.
Australia's bowlers, including Starc, Adam Zampa, and Josh Hazlewood, have been trying to maintain control, but captain Pat Cummins hasn't consistently replicated his red-ball cricket performance in the white-ball format.
To address these issues, they must navigate the batting-friendly conditions at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.
(With PTI inputs)
