After England’s defeat to Australia in their ICC Champions Trophy campaign, skipper Jos Buttler lauded Ben Duckett’s record-breaking innings while also commending Australia for successfully chasing down a formidable target of 352 runs.
Ben Duckett‘s record-breaking 165 was the highest in ICC Champions Trophy history, but Inglis’ century, supported by Carey and Maxwell, guided Australia to a five-wicket win over England in Lahore. Speaking in the post-match presentation, Jos Buttler said:
“Fantastic game, both sides played really well. We put on a really good score there. Credit to Australia. Fantastic innings there from Josh Inglis to see his side home. I think 350 you would take that at the start. Pretty good score. Dew was a worry and it was wet. Whatever happens with the conditions, to chase down 350 is a fantastic effort.”
“He (Duckett) played brilliantly. He is been brilliant at the top of the order in all the formats. He can be incredibly consistent in this format. Delighted for him with the way he played. Take the focus off yourself and work on getting those big partnerships. Root and Duckett did that.”
“I thought those two (Root and Livingstone) bowled really well today. They created chances. Credit to Australia. We tried to find ways to break that partnership between Inglis and Carey earlier but just couldn’t manage it. Sometimes, you have to give credit to the opposition,” he concluded.
Australia strike early as England’s gamble on Jamie Smith backfires
Australia chose to bowl first and gained early control by reducing England to 43/2, with the decision to promote young wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith to number three failing to pay off. Ben Duckett and Joe Root counter-attacked with a 158-run stand, taking England past 200.
While wickets fell around him, Duckett’s aggressive 165 off 143 balls powered England to a competitive 351/8 in 50 overs. Among Australia’s bowlers, Ben Dwarshuis was the standout performer with figures of 3/66, while Adam Zampa (2/64) and Matthew Short (2/41) chipped in with two wickets each.
Australia stumbled to 27/2 in their chase of 352 as Travis Head and Steve Smith fell cheaply. A 95-run stand between Marnus Labuschagne (47) and Matt Short (63) steadied the innings past 100, but Adil Rashid’s brilliance left them at 136/4. With power hitters still to come, Australia refused to back down.
Australia’s fighting spirit emerged as Alex Carey (69 off 63) anchored a crucial 146-run stand. After his dismissal, Josh Inglis (120*) and Glenn Maxwell (32*) unleashed a fearless T20-style assault, sealing a five-wicket win with 15 balls to spare.
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