A poor performance by Pakistani batsmen and fielders cost Pakistan 2nd world cup defeat. despite the fact that Mohammad Amir took a one-day international best five for 30 as Pakistan bowled Australia out for 307 in a World Cup match in Taunton on Wednesday.
Australia were set for a huge total while Warner and captain Aaron Finch (82) were sharing a first-wicket stand of 146 — the highest partnership for any wicket at this World Cup to date.
But left-arm quick Amir, on the ground where he returned to first-class cricket in England in 2016 after completing a spot-fixing ban, dragged Pakistan into the game.
His figures surpassed his previous best of 4-28 against Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2009 and are the best in the tournament so far. Amir ended the innings with an over to spare when tailender Mitchell Starc holed out. Both Warner and Steve Smith, also returning from a year-long ban for ball-tampering, had been jeered by fans in previous group matches.
Pakistan fans largely heeded a pre-match appeal from captain Sarfaraz Ahmed not to boo Warner and Smith, preferring to roar chants of “Amir! Amir!” as he ran in.
Amir was on target right from the start after Sarfaraz won the toss on an overcast morning at southwest county Somerset’s headquarters. He started with a probing maiden — one of two in an initial four-over spell that cost a mere 11 runs. Finch should have been out for 26 when he edged Wahab Riaz only for first slip Asif Ali to floor a head-high catch, He was dropped again on 44 when wicket-keeper Sarfaraz could not hold a tough chance following an edged cut off Mohammad Hafeez’s second ball.
– Pakistan chase –
Pakistan’s chase started badly when Fakhar Zaman fell for a duck uppercutting Cummins to Kane Richardson at third man.
Babar Azam was in superb touch, with 28 of his 30 runs coming in fours, before he mishooked Nathan Coulter-Nile to deep backward square leg.
Opener Imam-ul-Haq was upping the tempo in his 53 when he gloved Pat Cummins (3-33) down the legside to wicket-keeper Alex Carey.
Finch, an occasional slow bowler, grabbed a real bonus wicket when Mohammad Hafeez (46) hit a rank full toss straight to Starc at deep square leg.
And when Shoaib Malik was brilliantly caught for nought by a diving Carey after inside edging Cummins, Pakistan were in dire straits at 147-5.
Pakistan, after a middle-order collapse that saw them lose three wickets for 11 runs in 15 balls, were all but beaten at 200 for seven in the 34th over.
But captain Sarfaraz Ahmed (40) and the big-hitting Wahab Riaz (45) gave them renewed hope with a stand of 64.
Australia, who lost to India on Sunday, were again looking to Mitchell Starc to get them out of a tight spot, as had done in an earlier win over the West Indies and the fast bowler duly delivered with 2-43.
He had Wahab caught behind got off a thin edge, although it needed an Australia review of an original not out decision to leave Pakistan 264-8
Two balls later, Amir played on for a duck before Glenn Maxwell ended the match with a brilliant direct hit run out of Sarfaraz.