Australia edged out Pakistan by 14 runs in a high-scoring World Cup warm-up on Tuesday as India travelled 3,400km from one corner of the country to another only to be defeated by torrential rain. In Hyderabad, Australia made 351-7 from their 50 overs with Glenn Maxwell particularly ruthless on Pakistan’s bowlers. Maxwell cracked 77 off 71 balls with four boundaries and six sixes. Cameron Green was undefeated on 50, David Warner clubbed three sixes in his 48 while Josh Inglis also made 48. Marnus Labuschagne, a late call-up by the five-time World Cup winners, contributed 40.
Pakistan leg-spinner Usama Mir impressed with 2-31 as he dismissed Warner and Mitchell Marsh after the openers had put on 83 for the first wicket.
Mir’s leg-spinning partner Shadab Khan was expensive with his one wicket costing 69 runs.
In reply, Pakistan, who lost by five wickets to New Zealand in their opening warm-up, were dismissed for 337 in the 48th over.
Captain Babar Azam hit a fluent, unbeaten 90 off 59 balls with 11 boundaries and two sixes and shared a 144-run partnership with Iftikhar Ahmed who made 83 off 85 deliveries.
Mohammad Nawaz contributed 50 but Pakistan fell just short.
At Guwahati, Kusal Mendis scored a breathtaking 158 as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 294 by Afghanistan before slipping to a six-wicket defeat in a rain-hit match.
Mendis, captain for the day with Dasun Shanaka sitting out the final warm-up, made his runs off only 87 balls.
He hit 19 fours and nine sixes as Afghanistan struggled to apply the brakes with only former skipper Mohammad Nabi enjoying sustained success with 4-44.
Rahmanullah century
Afghanistan were sitting comfortably on 118-1 in the 21st over in reply when rain stopped play.
They were then set an adjusted target of 257 off 42 overs and cruised home with 23 balls to spare.
Opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz smashed 119 from 92 balls with eight fours and nine sixes, sharing a 212-run second wicket partnership with Rahmat Shah.
Rahmat’s 93 was made off 82 balls and featured 10 fours and three sixes.
Meanwhile, India’s superstar cricketers endured a 3,400km (2,170 miles) cross-country journey to play a warm-up only for the match to be abandoned without a ball being bowled.
India were to face the Netherlands in Thiruvananthapuram, on the southern tip of India, but they were left kicking their heels in the rain.
On Saturday, their scheduled game against defending champions England up in the north-eastern city of Guwahati was also washed out.
In total, the wet weather forced three warm-up matches to be abandoned while four others were rain-affected, leaving teams and players frustrated ahead of Thursday’s World Cup start.
However, the weather forecast for the rest of the week in Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Dharamsala — venues for first three days of the tournament — is optimistic with sunshine instead of showers.
England will play New Zealand in the tournament opener at the world’s biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
Pakistan clash with the Netherlands in Hyderabad on Friday, while Afghanistan and Bangladesh play in Dharamsala on Saturday.
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