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There can be no talk of moral victories this time, only acceptance of an era coming to a sad end as Australia knocked England out of the World Cup.
England suffered the deeply galling experience of being eliminated by their bitter rivals. Not so long ago, they would have eaten a target of 287 for breakfast. Now they can barely lift the fork to their mouths.
England’s dejected captain Jos Buttler after his team’s World Cup loss to Australia.Credit: Getty
It says it all that of their six defeats at the World Cup, this was the one when they competed for the longest, but a 33-run win for Australia is comfortable in ODI cricket. It is now five consecutive defeats for England, and they have been bowled out in each game. This once aggressive, dominant batting line-up is cowed and broken.
Ben Stokes shouted “oh no” when he paddled a catch to short fine leg on 64, and put his bat down on the side of the boundary as he walked off to prevent him doing any damage to the dressing room. A World Cup campaign he described as “crap” on Friday was about to get worse and he knew it.
They had hope while their talismanic leader – he may not be captain, but he is still the ringmaster – was fighting hard against a lack of form. But with 118 still needed when Stokes was dismissed, belief drained away. At least they managed almost to bat out the overs; in the previous three games they did not go beyond 35 and two players made 50s after none since the Afghanistan match. Small crumbs.
How has it come to this? Poorly led and poorly prepared, England thought it would be all right on the night. Instead, they bombed and are out of the tournament with two group games to go.
Ben Stokes laments his soft dismissal and the end of England’s hopes of defending the ODI cricket World Cup.Credit: Getty
Their thoughts are on the flight home, the end cannot come quick enough, but that is a dangerous mindset. They play Netherlands on Wednesday. Slip on that banana skin and it will come crashing down for good for a few of them. They finish against Pakistan next Saturday at Eden Gardens during the Diwali holidays, and we can expect fireworks on and off the field that night. Pakistan are in the middle of one of their miraculous comebacks and scrambling for a place in the semi-finals.
England have only qualification for the Champions Trophy to play for, and that requires winning both games. Matthew Mott’s job is to rally his players, support them and inject self-belief, but he has been totally unable to lift their confidence since they lost their opening game.
The coach may pay the price, but ultimately the senior players have to take responsibility. Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root and Jos Buttler contributed 14 runs. Bairstow was out first ball of the innings, strangled down the leg side, a sorry end for a player who has not been able to summon his mongrel spirit. He looks shot.
Root is no better. He was dropped on seven, a dolly at cover, and fiddled at one outside off from Mitchell Starc that was given not out, but his face said it all when Australia reviewed. Buttler, desperate to find the boundary, holed out after scoring one off six balls. He is tense and miserable, looking as if he is back playing Test cricket again.
For the third game in a row England picked an unchanged team leaving Harry Brook on the bench. He is the only one of the top six almost guaranteed to play at the next World Cup. In fact, he could be captain by then. Why not give him experience? Brook must play the last two games, and it should be Root or Bairstow that makes way to send a message and start the reset now.
England were tentative under pressure again with the bat. Adam Zampa bowled his 10 overs for 3-21, England rarely playing a shot in anger against him. They used to hammer spin, not anymore. He bowled superbly, but England let him take control, failing to hit him for a single boundary. They averaged 79 against spin in 2019-20 here, but old demons on turning pitches in India have been reawakened.
Stokes battled hard, knowing he is out of nick and got out just as he was starting to tick. Dawid Malan was the most free flowing but could not stay in, falling two balls after reaching his 50. Moeen Ali replayed a few hits from his back catalogue, but no one could hang around long enough to make a difference, which is what happens when confidence is flat.
The bowlers did a decent job, knocking over the dangerous openers – Travis Head and David Warner – with 38 on the board, exposing Australia’s soft underbelly. Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne should not play together, and only were here because Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Marsh were unavailable. Without their power, Australia could only cobble together a average score. Smith and Labuschagne put on 75 off 96 and were contained easily.
Australia lost wickets at crucial points, England always pegging them back as Buttler handled his bowlers well and they fielded sharply.
Wood deserved better than 2-70 as he had the Australians hopping around again and Chris Woakes was dead-eyed – just like he was in the Ashes – while Adil Rashid controlled the middle overs well but Zampa’s late hitting, 29 off 19, lifted the score to a dangerous level.
Australia’s attack is strong, they fielded brilliantly, taking every catch after Marcus Stoinis dropped the goober off Root, and with the power of Maxwell and Marsh to add, they are peaking at the right time.
England are bottom of the table.
You really have to rub your eyes looking at it. Surely it is upside down. Sadly not.
– The London Telegraph
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