Pat Cummins, and Pakistan: welcome back to ODI cricket
Pat Cummins returns to lead Australia into battle against Pakistan
Australia will be led by Pat Cummins in their three-match ODI series against Pakistan, which begins on Tuesday in Rawalpindi. Cummins has been in excellent form for Australia in recent months, and will be looking to continue his good form against Pakistan. Alex Carey will be Cummin's deputy for the series.
Pakistan will be looking to make a statement against Australia
Pakistan will be looking to make a statement against Australia in this series. They have not played an ODI series since their defeat to England in July, and will hope to bounce back with a strong performance against Australia.
The series is expected to be closely contested
The series is expected to be closely contested, with both teams evenly matched. Australia have a slight edge in terms of experience, but Pakistan will be buoyed by the home crowd. The series is likely to be decided by small margins, and could go either way.
The first ODI will be played in Rawalpindi on Tuesday
The first ODI will be played in Rawalpindi on Tuesday. The second and third ODIs will be played in Lahore on Thursday and Saturday respectively. All three matches will start at 10:00am local time.
Australia and Pakistan will do battle again in the second of a three-match ODI series on Thursday (404am AEST), with the final match taking place in Lahore on Saturday (404am AEST).
Australia won the first match in Rawalpindi by 45 runs despite a valiant late flurry from the home side in reply to the tourists' 7-317. It saw Cameron Green backed up Player of the Match Warner's 106 with an eye-catching 40 off 19 deliveries, while Mitchell Swepson starred with the ball, snaring 3-41. Pakistan, in reply, was 9-272 at stumps and despite being nine wickets down, Pakistan somehow threatened to pull off an improbable victory off the final ball.
Australia has won three of its past seven completed ODIs against Pakistan.
The Australians have been in reasonable one-day form of late, having won three of their past seven completed matches against Pakistan. They will, however, be wary of Pakistan's recent record at home, having not played a one-day international away from home since 2019. Pakistan won that series 2-1. Cummins' men will also be eager to continue their impressive record against Pakistan in ODIs. They have won 38 of 76 matches and will be hoping to continue their dominance.
Key players to watch
Some of the key players to watch in the series include:
- Pat Cummins (Australia): The Australian captain is a world-class bowler and will be looking to lead his team to victory.
- David Warner (Australia): The Australian opener is a dangerous batsman and will be looking to score big runs against Pakistan.
- Babar Azam (Pakistan): The Pakistan captain is one of the best batsmen in the world and will be looking to lead his team to victory.
- Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan): The Pakistan wicket-keeper is a dangerous batsman and will be looking to score big runs against Australia.
Prediction
The series is expected to be closely contested, but Australia will start as slight favourites. They have a more experienced team and are in better form than Pakistan. However, Pakistan will be buoyed by the home crowd and will be looking to make a statement against Australia. The series is likely to be decided by small margins, and could go either way.
