Canada win toss, elect to bat against Aussies

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BANGALORE: Canada captain Ashish Bagai has won the toss and elected to bat against Australia in their World Cup Group A match here at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday.

Defending champions Australia, already through to the quarter-finals and unbeaten in 33 matches at the World Cup since 1999, were unchanged from the side that beat Kenya by 60 runs on Monday.

Canada, who are out of quarter-final contention, made two changes from the side that lost by 97 runs to New Zealand in Mumbai on Sunday, with Nitish Kumar and Karl Whatham coming in for Ruvindu Guneasekera and Khurram Chohan.

This match marked 40-year-old Canada veteran John Davison's final match before international retirement.

Davison set a world record the fastest-ever World Cup hundred in 2003, a mark which has been surpassed by Matthew Hayden of Australia and Ireland's Kevin O'Brien who hit a century off 50 balls at this World Cup against England.

Australia: Brad Haddin (wk), Shane Watson, Ricky Ponting (captain), Michael Clarke, Cameron White, Michael Hussey, Steven Smith, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Jason Krejza, Shaun Tait.

Canada: Hiral Patel, John Davison, Zubin Surkari, Ashish Bagai (captain/wk), Jimmy Hansra, Rizwan Cheema, Nitish Kumar, Karl Whatham, Harvir Baidwan, Balaji Rao, Henry Osinde

Umpires: Amish Saheba (IND) and Billy Bowden (NZ), TV umpire: Richard Kettleborough (ENG)
Match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM).