WC Warm-Up Highlights: Afghanistan thrash Sri Lanka, Australia edge out Pakistan

World Cup Warm-up Highlights: It’s a wrap! On the final day of ODI World Cup Warm-ups, Australia have beaten Pakistan by 14 runs. Despite Babar Azam’s 90, Pakistan fell short. In Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka, the Afghans have thumped Sri Lanka by 6 wickets in a rain-impacted game. In the 42-overs-a-side game, Rahmat Shah and Rahmanullah Gurbaz put up a 212-run stand as Afghanistan chased down the target in 38.1 overs.

PAK vs AUS Highlights:

Australia Innings Summary: Opting to bat, Australia made a rapid start. David Warner dominated an opening stand of 83 before falling for a 33-ball 48 in the 13th over.

Mitchell Marsh (38), Steve Smith (27) and Marnus Labuschagne (40) all made starts before Glenn Maxwell seized control of the middle overs. The all-rounder brought up his half century with one of six sixes, eventually making 77 from 71 deliveries before he was dismissed by Shadab Khan.

Josh Inglis (48) and Cameron Green (50*) kept the momentum going, adding 83 in eight overs for the seventh wicket to carry Australia to a daunting total as Pakistan’s death bowlers suffered, Haris Rauf’s nine overs costing 97.

Pakistan Innings Summary:

Pakistan’s reply was faltering at 82 for four before a fine stand by Babar Azam and Iftikhar Ahmed brought them right back into the contest.

The skipper struck a typically fluent 90 from just 59 balls while Iftikhar struck six fours and four sixes in his 83 before becoming Labuschagne’s second scalp, leaving his side 227 for five.

Labuschagne then put down Mohammad Nawaz off the bowling of Marsh with the batter going well on 38 as the run chase went deep, but the seamer got his man for 50 shortly afterwards as Warner held on to a routine chance at third man.

That left Pakistan needing 26 from four overs but Labuschagne returned to take the final wicket, Hasan Ali picking out Marsh at long-off.

AFG vs SL Highlights

Sri Lanka Innings Summary: Kusal Mendis’ sparkling century was not enough to earn Sri Lanka victory as a Rahmanullah Gurbaz-inspired Afghanistan won a rain-affected clash in Guwahati.

Batting first, Mendis arrived at the crease following the early departure of Dimuth Karunaratne and was quickly into his stride.

The 18th over was particularly punishing, Mendis taking 18 from it including three consecutive boundaries, and he quickly moved to a 59-ball century.

With his score on 158, including 19 fours and six sixes, Mendis retired at the end of the 30th over. Afghanistan fought back with the ball thereafter. Mohammad Nabi claimed 4/44 as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 294 with 22 balls unused.

Afghanistan Innings Summary:

Kasun Rajitha claimed the scalp of Ibrahim Zadran amid a miserly opening spell which saw his five overs cost just two runs. But Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Rahmat Shah proved much tougher to dislodge.

The pair’s century stand came either side of a rain delay, after which the target was adjusted to 257 from 42 overs, and kicked on in style as the target loomed into view.

Rahmanullah was first to three figures, hitting three sixes in the 31st over before clearing the ropes three times in succession in the next, which also saw him bring up his century.

He and Rahmat both retired shortly after but having put up a mammoth 212-run stand. Azmatullah Omarzai hit the winning runs with 23 balls to spare.

ICC ODI World Cup Warm-up Results

Date	Day	Team 1	Team 2	City	Time
Sep 29	Fri	Bangladesh	Sri Lanka	Guwahati	Bangladesh won by 7 wickets
Sep 29	Fri	South Africa	Afghanistan	Thiruvananthapuram	Wash out
Sep 29	Fri	New Zealand	Pakistan	Hyderabad	New Zealand won by 5 wkts
Sep 30	Sat	India	England	Guwahati	Wash out
Sep 30	Sat	Australia	Netherlands	Thiruvananthapuram	No Result
Oct 2	Mon	England	Bangladesh	Guwahati	England win by 4 wickets
Oct 2	Mon	New Zealand	South Africa	Thiruvananthapuram	NZ win by 7 runs
Oct 3	Tues	India	Netherlands	Thiruvananthapuram	Wash out
Oct 3	Tues	Pakistan	Australia	Hyderabad	Australia win by 14 runs
Oct 3	Tues	Afghanistan	Sri Lanka	Guwahati	Afghanistan win by 6 wickets