Last Updated on 3 weeks by Charbel Coorey

AUS vs PAK Dream11 Prediction Fantasy Cricket Tips Possible XI Pitch Report: ODI World Cup 2023 Match 18 | Bengaluru pitch report

Australia and Pakistan always form an eye-catching contest, especially in the World Cup. They will lock horns again in a crucial match at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

Australia won their previous encounter against Sri Lanka in Lucknow to finally kick off their tournament. Bowling first, they restricted Sri Lanka to a mere 209 – thanks to the four-wicket haul by Adam Zampa, while Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc also snared two wickets. Their batting suffered two early blows, but vital fifties from Mitchell Marsh (52) and Josh Inglis (58), whereas Marnus Labuschagne’s 40 runs ensured a hassle-free victory.

Meanwhile, Pakistan suffered their maiden defeat of the season against the arch-rivals India in Ahmedabad. Despite a steady start, they collapsed from 155/2 to 191 all-out, with their batters lacking application. Shaheen Afridi took two wickets, but it was not enough to stop the high-flying Indian batting unit.

In this article, we will look at the key players to watch, stats, pitch report and Dream11 prediction as part of our World Cup fantasy cricket tips.

Match Details

• Date: October 20, 2023.
• Time: 2:00 pm (India), 7:30 PM (Australia), 1:30 pm (Pakistan).
• Location: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.

ODI World Cup 2023 Match 18 – AUS vs PAK Possible Playing XIs

Australia are unlikely to change their winning combination. Travis Head has reportedly joined the squad, but is set to feature later in the tournament.

Australia: 1. Mitchell Marsh, 2. David Warner, 3. Steven Smith, 4. Marnus Labuschagne, 5. Josh Inglis (wk), 6. Glenn Maxwell, 7. Marcus Stoinis, 8. Pat Cummins (c), 9. Mitchell Starc, 10. Adam Zampa, 11. Josh Hazlewood.

Pakistan can bring in Usama Mir for Mohammad Nawaz or Shadab Khan. Also, Pakistani players, including Shaheen Shah Afridi and Abdullah Shafique, were struck down by a virus. However, they should be available.

Pakistan: 1. Abdullah Shafique, 2. Imam-ul-Haq, 3. Babar Azam (c), 4. Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 5. Saud Shakeel, 6. Iftikhar Ahmed, 7. Shadab Khan/Mohammad Nawaz, 8. Usama Mir, 9. Hasan Ali, 10. Shaheen Afridi, 11. Haris Rauf.

AUS vs PAK Dream11 Prediction – Fantasy Cricket Tips

Australia:

• David Warner has scored 676 runs at an average of 52 and a strike rate of 93.37 in 13 ODI innings against Pakistan. This includes one fifty and three centuries.
• Warner can be a solid Dream11 captaincy option at a ground he has enjoyed success at in the IPL: 10 inns, 489 runs, avg. 54.33, SR 168.04.
• Steven Smith hasn’t set the stage on fire but is a quality batter. He has 511 runs at an average of 51.10 and a strike rate of 84.04 in 11 ODI innings against Pakistan. This includes three fifties and two centuries.
• Marnus Labuschagne looked in a nice touch against Sri Lanka in the previous game. He has 88 runs in three ODI innings against Pakistan, with a fifty. Labuschagne has got starts and will look to translate them into massive scores now.
• Glenn Maxwell is a must-pick in fantasy teams given his record against Pakistan. Also, he knows this ground very well. He has 735 runs, averaging 52.50 and striking at 125.42 in 16 ODI innings against the Pakistanis. Maxwell also has nine wickets, and has been bowling nicely in recent times.
• Mitchell Starc has 23 wickets at an average of 18.04 and a strike rate of 23.73 in 10 ODI innings against Pakistan. This includes two four-wicket hauls and a five-wicket haul.
• Josh Hazlewood has 11 wickets at an average of 20.63 and a strike rate of 26.63 in five ODI innings against Pakistan. He has good numbers against Babar Azam, dismissing him twice in 56 balls (42 runs).

Pakistan:

• Imam-ul-Haq has 414 runs at an average of 69 and a strike rate of 87.71 in seven ODI innings against Australia. The southpaw has amassed two fifties and as many centuries against them.
• Imam has never been dismissed by Starc in ODIs. He has scored 22 runs off 26 deliveries against the left-armer.
• Babar Azam has 588 runs at an average of 73.50 and a strike rate of 91.73 in nine ODI innings against Australia. This includes two fifties and three centuries.
• Babar has strong numbers against Pat Cummins (104 balls, 86 runs, one dismissal) and Adam Zampa (95 balls, 88 runs, no dismissals) in ODIs.
• Mohammad Rizwan has been among the most consistent Pakistani batters in this World Cup. He has 315 runs at an average of 35 and a strike rate of 85.36 in 10 ODI innings against Australia, including two centuries.
• Hasan Ali can be a differentiator pick in Dream11 teams. The pacer has 13 wickets at an average of 33.15 and a strike rate of 29 in seven ODI innings against Australia. He also has a five-wicket haul against them.
• Shaheen Afridi has eight wickets at an average of 21.62 and a strike rate of 21 in three ODI innings against Australia. This includes a four-wicket haul.

Other Stats and Facts

• Head-to-head in ODIs: Played 107, Australia 69, Pakistan 34, Tie 1 & NR 3.
• Mohammad Rizwan vs Adam Zampa in ODIs: 58 runs, 73 balls, 79.45 SR & 3 dismissals.
• Mitchell Starc has never gone wicketless in an ODI World Cup match (total of 54 wickets).
• Shadab Khan has been mediocre in ODIs this year. He has 15 wickets at an abysmal average of 42.60 and concedes around 5.72 runs per over in 2023.
• Steven Smith would want to better his ODI numbers. He has 202 runs at an average of 25.25 in eight ODI innings this year.
• Pat Cummins vs Imam-ul-Haq in ODIs: 25 balls, 10 runs, one dismissal.

M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, Pitch Report and Weather

The last ODI in Bengaluru was played in 2020 between India and Australia. The average first innings score has been 232, but the pitch should be a belter.

Teams batting first have won only 14 of the 38 matches here, so chasing may be the option. A temperature of around 29°C, with no threat of rain, is forecast.

AUS vs PAK Dream11 Prediction: Captain, vice-captain, team combinations

Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time. Use the stats and commentary in this article, as well as your own instincts, to create your teams.

AUS vs PAK Fantasy Ideal XI: Mohammad Rizwan, David Warner, Steven Smith, Mitchell Marsh, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Glenn Maxwell, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi.

Option 1:

Option 2:

AUS vs PAK Match Prediction: Who will win?

This one is hard to predict. Both teams have quality players and will do everything possible to scrape a win. However, Australia have that extra bit of firepower and might win the game.