ENG vs AUS Review: Defending champs bow out as the in-form Aussies strike
The 36h match of the ongoing ODI World Cup was played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad where England and Australia faced off each other and the Jos Buttler-led team lost their sixth game in the event to bow out.
England won the toss and elected to field first. Batting first, Australia struggled early on as both their openers, David Warner and Travis Head were dismissed quickly, leaving them at 38 for two. However, Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne built a solid partnership of 75 runs for the third wicket. Smith was then dismissed after scoring 44 runs.
Labuschagne continued to bat well and formed another partnership with Cameron Green, who scored 47 runs. Some contributions from the lower order helped Australia reach a total of 286 runs. Chris Woakes was the standout bowler for England, taking four wickets.
In the chase, England got off to a poor start. Jonny Bairstow was dismissed on the very first ball off Mitchell Starc. They continued to lose wickets throughout their innings. David Malan scored a half-century but was eventually dismissed after scoring 50 runs. Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali tried to stabilize the innings, but Stokes was dismissed by Adam Zampa after scoring 64 runs.
England kept losing wickets from thereon. Moeen Ali kept the fight on and scored 42 runs before being dismissed by Zampa. But his wicket proved to be the killer blow to even the last of hopes left for England. They were eventually all out for 253 runs, falling short by 33 runs. Zampa was the standout bowler for Australia, taking three important wickets apart from taking a brilliant catch and scoring a handy 29 with the bat.
Top Performers of the Match
Marnus Labuschagne (71 of 83)
Marnus Labuschagne showed great composure and continued his impressive form in the tournament by scoring 71 runs off 83 balls with seven fours. He formed crucial partnerships with other batters to help Australia post a competitive total.
Chris Woakes (4/54, 9.3 overs)
Chris Woakes was the best bowler of the match, showcased his bowling prowess by taking four important wickets. The wickets-column included the likes of Travis Head, David Warner, Mitchell Starc, and Adam Zampa. His performance played a significant role in restricting Australia from crossing the 300-run mark.
What next?
Going ahead, Pakistan will play against England on November 11, while Australia will take on Afghanistan on November 7.
