Australia's top order are working hard to set things right at the World Cup and a batting-friendly wicket like Bengaluru should provide the right platform to score plenty of runs when they play Pakistan, skipper Pat Cummins said on Thursday.

Australia lost their first two matches without crossing 200 runs but won their last game against Sri Lanka to move up to seventh in the standings. However, their top order has failed to get going despite some promising starts.

Marnus Labuschagne is the only Australia batter to score more than 100 runs in the tournament so far and Cummins said it was important they stepped up in Bengaluru, where the team batting first has averaged 335 in the last three ODIs.

"Especially at a venue like here in Bangalore, I dare say it's going to be high-scoring, smaller field. The pitch is always really good here," Cummins told reporters ahead of Friday's game.

"Batting is super important. I think the way the guys started the last game really set the tone. Mitchell (Marsh) and Davey (Warner) up front from the first over taking the game on.

"That's what we want from our players and they're working really hard, they're doing all the right things. I'm sure plenty of runs are around the corner."

Pakistan started the tournament with two wins before losing to India and they sit fourth in the standings.

Cummins said the Asian side are "well-structured", identifying Mohammad Rizwan and captain Babar Azam as their biggest batting threats while Hasan Ali has been the pick of Pakistan's fast bowlers with seven wickets.

"They have some really good quick bowlers who can do some damage, some spin bowlers that can bowl 20 of their overs," Cummins said.

"Rizwan's the leading run-scorer, Babar Azam's always good, a couple of other batters that have scored a lot in ODIs lately. So they're a really strong side pretty much in all facets."

Cummins also thanked the Netherlands on Thursday for throwing the five-time champions a shock World Cup lifeline with their surprise victory over South Africa.

"Yeah, I mean it's good, I won't lie. I think it just evens all the teams out really," said Cummins.

The Dutch stunned South Africa by 38 runs in Dharamsala on Tuesday.

It was South Africa's first loss of the tournament and prevented them from taking their record to a perfect three wins in three.

Instead, they are only two points ahead of Australia in what is expected to be a tight battle for the top four places which will decide the semifinal line-up.

Sri Lanka and South Africa had century opening stands against Australia and when asked if Cummins would take the new ball going forward, the 30-year-old said Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood would continue to open the bowling.

"We look back at the last couple of games and, yeah, we haven't got the wickets. But there's probably been three chances in each of the first 10 overs that we just haven't got -- LBW, missed by millimetres, or play and misses," Cummins said.

"We've been really happy with the guys up front."

Statbox:

*Australia have dominated ODIs against Pakistan, winning 69 of the 107 played between the two sides. Pakistan claimed wins in 34 matches while three games yielded no result and one ended in a tie.

*Even though Australia still lead proceedings in the World Cup, things are a bit more even in the mega event. Pakistan and Australia played each other 10 times in the World Cup, with the Aussies winning on six occasions and Pakistan getting wins in the rest four.

*Pakistan and Australia came across each other twice in the 1999 World Cup. While Pakistan won the group game, the Aussies went on to humiliate them in the final just about a month later at Lord's.

*Australia bundled out Pakistan for just 132 in 39 overs in that final – the lowest-ever total recorded in a World Cup final. Australia won the game by eight wickets and 179 balls remaining – the largest margin win in terms of both wickets and balls remaining in a World Cup final.

*Australia enjoyed a freak 34-match unbeaten run in World Cups between 1999-2011, winning the trophy thrice during that period. Interestingly, the Aussies' massive winning streak started with a win against Pakistan in the final in 1999 and ended with a defeat against the same side in the group stage in 2011.