The ODI World Cup 2023 has been nothing short of a rollercoaster, and it's about to reach a thrilling crescendo as Australia prepares to face off against Pakistan in a crucial match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru this Friday.

Australia, captained by Pat Cummins, experienced a rough start to the tournament, suffering consecutive defeats at the hands of India (by seven wickets) and South Africa (by a staggering 134 runs). However, they finally found their rhythm in their last outing, securing a hard-fought victory against Sri Lanka, winning by five wickets at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.

In stark contrast, Pakistan had a promising start to their World Cup campaign with victories over the Netherlands (by 81 runs) and Sri Lanka (by six wickets). The team, led by Babar Azam, was riding high on confidence until a crushing seven-wicket loss to arch-rivals India dealt them a blow. To make matters worse, several Pakistani players fell ill with the flu and high fever, casting doubt on their availability for the impending showdown with the Australians.

The history between these two teams at the World Cup is already intense. In the 2019 edition held in England, the Aussies outperformed their Pakistani counterparts, securing a victory by 41 runs. Now, as both teams face off once again, the question looms large: Will Australia recover from their shaky start and deliver a dominant performance against Pakistan? Or will the Men in Green triumph against all odds, even with key players in doubt?

Here's everything you need to know about the upcoming clash in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 between Australia and Pakistan:

Squads:

Australia:

Captain: Pat Cummins
Players: Steve Smith, Alex Carey (wk), Josh Inglis (wk), Sean Abbott, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa, Mitchell Starc.
Pakistan:

Captain: Babar Azam
Players: Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim.

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