BENGALURU, India (Reuters) – Australia’s top order are working hard to set things right at the World Cup and a batting-friendly wicket like Bengaluru should provide the right platform to score plenty of runs when they play Pakistan, skipper Pat Cummins said on Thursday.
Australia lost their first two matches without crossing 200 runs but won their last game against Sri Lanka to move up to seventh in the standings. However, their top order has failed to get going despite some promising starts.
Marnus Labuschagne is the only Australia batter to score more than 100 runs in the tournament so far and Cummins said it was important they stepped up in Bengaluru, where the team batting first has averaged 335 in the last three ODIs.
“Especially at a venue like here in Bangalore, I dare say it’s going to be high-scoring, smaller field. The pitch is always really good here,” Cummins told reporters ahead of Friday’s game.
“Batting is super important. I think the way the guys started the last game really set the tone. Mitchell (Marsh) and Davey (Warner) up front from the first over taking the game on.
“That’s what we want from our players and they’re working really hard, they’re doing all the right things. I’m sure plenty of runs are around the corner.”
Pakistan started the tournament with two wins before losing to India and they sit fourth in the standings.
Cummins said the Asian side are “well-structured”, identifying Mohammad Rizwan and captain Babar Azam as their biggest batting threats while Hasan Ali has been the pick of Pakistan’s fast bowlers with seven wickets.
“They have some really good quick bowlers who can do some damage, some spin bowlers that can bowl 20 of their overs,” Cummins said.
“Rizwan’s the leading run scorer, Babar Azam’s always good, a couple of other batters that have scored a lot in ODIs lately. So they’re a really strong side pretty much in all facets.”
Sri Lanka and South Africa had century opening stands against Australia and when asked if Cummins would take the new ball going forward, the 30-year-old said Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood would continue to open the bowling.
“We look back at the last couple of games and, yeah, we haven’t got the wickets. But there’s probably been three chances in each of the first 10 overs that we just haven’t got — LBW, missed by millimetres, or play and misses,” Cummins said.
“We’ve been really happy with the guys up front.”
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)
