The Pakistan team reached Bengaluru after losing to India in Ahmedabad. Upon their arrival to the garden city, they opted to stay in their hotel rooms and yet managed to celebrate the birthday of their skipper Babar Azam in a low-key fashion. The players of Pakistan graced the occasion by cutting a cake at the hotel as skipper Babar turned 29 on Sunday.
"It was a small function attended by the players and support staff. There were not many activities today as it was a travel day, and the team will soon start preparations for the upcoming matches," said an official travelling with the team.
The Men in Green is set to take on Australia on October 20 in the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, and they cannot wait to bounce back post a seven-wicket defeat to India on Saturday. Ever since 2012, this is the first time that the Pakistan team have visited Bengaluru. Back in 2012, they registered a win over India by five wickets in the first T20I of a two-match series.
The Men in Green so far has had limited appearances in Bengaluru, playing in only two ODIs. The first one happened during the quarterfinals of the 1996 World Cup, and the second was in the final of the Pepsi Cup in 1999.
"Bengaluru is a welcoming city and we are happy to be here. The climate too seems a lot cooler here. Hopefully, there will not be rain as we have seen some reports of heavy rains in some parts of South India," the official said.
Talking about the sale of tickets at the venue, the Karnataka State Cricket Association declared that it will begin on Tuesday. Fans can get the tickets by going to the counters situated at Cubbon Road and Queens Road from Tuesday to Thursday. The rates of ticket for the Australia vs. Pakistan match starts from Rs 1000 for the H-Lower Stand to Rs 25000 for the high-end P-Terrace seats.