David Warner, Mitch Marsh rewrite record books in World Cup ‘carnage’

David Warner and Mitchell Marsh have shown the ruthless Australia is back as the duo put Pakistan to the sword in brutal fashion.

David Warner and Mitchell Marsh have left Pakistan’s bowlers in ruins as they plundered their way to a record opening stand in a frightening warning for the rest of the World Cup.

Australia was sent into bat at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore but made the most of the conditions in a stunning start to the match, plundering 9/367 including a 259-run opening stand.

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Pakistan made a decent fist of the run chase but were bowled out for 305 as Australia claimed a 62-run win.

Openers Abdullah Shafique (64 off 62 balls) and Imam ul-Haq (70 off 71) were Pakistan’s best but without a century, they came up short of the imposing total.

Adam Zampa continued his World Cup resurgence, finishing with figures of 4/53 from his 10 overs.

The results means Australia have jumped up to fourth in the overall standings after four games, behind India, New Zealand and South Africa.

They will want to win close to all of their remaining five games, including a crucial clash against England on Saturday November 4.

Australia are back in the World Cup after beating Pakistan. (Photo by Sajjad HUSSAIN / AFP)

War,er, Marsh go berserk

After Warner top-edged a sitter that was dropped by Usama Mir in the fifth over when he was on 10, the Aussie openers cashed in.

Warner and Marsh’s 259-run stand was Australia’s biggest ever World Cup opening partnership, beating Shane Watson and Brad Haddin’s 183 set against Canada at the 2011 edition of the tournament.

The duo were also just one run short of Australia’s all-time partnership record of 260 held by Warner and Steve Smith for the second wicket against Afghanistan set in Perth in 2015.

Internationally, it was also the second biggest World Cup opening stand of all time, beaten only by Sri Lanka’s Upul Tharanga and Tillakaratne Dilshan’s 282 run stand against Zimbabwe in 2011.

In terms of all-time, the stand was the fourth biggest Australian ODI in history and means that Warner was one half of each of the top five record partnerships.

What an opening stand. Photo by Sajjad HUSSAIN / AFP

Warner and Marsh plundered the Pakistani bowlers, none more than Haris Rauf, who went for 47 runs in his first three overs, including 24 from his opening over.

They then brought up their centuries in consecutive balls with Warner going first for his 21st ODI hundred, before Marsh claimed his second ton in 50-over international cricket with a four.

Commentator Pommy Mbangwa said it was “a magnificent 21st One-Day International century for David Warner”.

The following ball, Marsh was punching the air after piercing the gap for a well deserved hundred.

Fans went nuts for the pair.

SEN producer John Donohoe wrote: “This is much better from the Aussies. Attacking, fearless, ruthless. Like the Aussies of old. Good stuff boys!”

The Cricspace X account said: “Pakistan getting murdered here.”

One fan said: “16 Sixes by the end of 34th over is an Absolute Carnage!!!”

Another posted: “@davidwarner31& #MitchMarsh here are making it look like EA Sports – #Cricket07 with difficulty level set to Amateur. Absolute carnage. Pakistani Bowling line-up being badly exposed.”

Another commented: “Australia treating this match as T20I. They are not wrong because this school level bowling is only for T20 cricket.”

Mitchell Marsh was at his best. Photo by R.Satish BABU / AFP

That one meant a lot. Photo by R.Satish BABU / AFP

However, all things have to come to an end sometime and Marsh was the first to go, clipping a ball behind square straight to a fielder for 121 off 108 balls with 10 fours and nine sixes.

Marsh also becomes the first Australian player in history to score a hundred on his birthday.

While it looked like easy going for the openers, they appeared to make it look easier than it actually was as Glenn Maxwell was dismissed for a golden duck, while Steve Smith was caught and bowled for seven off nine balls.

Warner was finally dismissed for 163 off 124 balls, featuring 14 fours and nine sixes —

Australia’s third highest score in a World Cup match. Warner also holds the highest and second highest scores at 178 Vs Afghanistan in 2015 and 166 against Bangladesh in 2015.

Australia was 4/325 in the 43rd over when Warner’s wicket fell, but struggled in the final seven overs as the side lost 6/42, including Warner’s wicket, off the last 47 balls.

But despite the epic opening stand, Australia will have a decision to make in the near future with Travis Head nearing a return and he and Warner having opened the batting for Australia in recent times.

It’s believed that Head will move to the top of the order and Marsh to first drop.