ICC World Cup: Australia bludgeon 367, powered by record-breaking Warner and Marsh

Bengaluru: Australia took their World Cup campaign – and Pakistan – by the scruff of the neck at the Chinnaswamy stadium by piling up 367/9, powered by a record first-wicket stand and hundreds by both openers.

David Warner (163) and Mitchell Marsh (121) put on 259 for the first wicket in alarmingly rapid time, bludgeoning 18 sixes and 24 fours between them before Pakistan exerted a modicum of control by getting eight wickets for 104, with spearhead Shaheen Afridi producing a superb late spell to end with 5/54.

This meant that the men in green went into the break probably reflecting that things could have been much worse. But two hours of carnage had already done substantial damage to their campaign.

The Warner-Marsh partnership was the highest opening stand for Australia in the World Cup, and just one run short of their highest for any wicket. It was the sixth-highest partnership in World Cup history.

For the first 200 balls of Australia’s innings, hope sprang in Pakistan hearts just three times.

The first instance was off the very first ball of the innings, when Shaheen Afridi and his captain opted for an LBW referral against David Warner. It always looked a bad idea, and it looked worse on replay – even if there hadn’t been a big inside edge, impact looked high. One review gone before many in the crowd had taken their seats.

Then in the fifth over, Warner skied the ball to long on, where Usama Mir, all six-foot-three of him, settled under the easiest of catches – and proceeded to miss the ball entirely. Warner was 10, and Pakistan would pay.

And in the 33rd over, Asad Shafique put Warner (now 105) down again at mid wicket.

Warner and Marsh reached their hundreds off successive balls, Warner first, off 85 balls and then Marsh off 100.

Marsh, celebrating his 32nd birthday but watching Warner get all the gifts at the other end, produced some of the cleanest hitting of this World Cup, threatening life and limb near the press box with a 90-metre six. The two Aussies were especially severe on Haris Rauf, whose first over went for 24 and first three for 47.

Now Pakistan, brushed aside by India in the so-called needle match, now have it all to do. A loss would mean two wins out of four, that too against the Netherlands and Sri Lanka. Australia, if they win this, will have the same number of points, but against marginally better opposition.