Australia v Ireland ODI: 5 Talking Points

Ireland has now succumbed to their second defeat of the series with a heavy nine-wicket defeat at the hands of Australia at Benoni. In spite of the fact that the Irish got off to a decent start, Usman Khawaja came to the fore with some impressive batting as he set Benoni ablaze with some power-hitting. Adam Zampa was a decent addition to the side as he impressed with three wickets and being extremely economical. While there were a few talking points from the encounter, it was clear that here are the five points that stood out.

1. Ireland gets off to a good start

As opposed to the previous ODI, the luck of the Irish was there for all to see. Of course, Benoni was not packed to the rafters, but, the fact of the matter was that luck was smiling upon the Ireland batsmen. The top three batsmen – William Porterfield, Paul Stirling, and John Anderson impressed with some solidity with the bat. However, it was the middle and lower order that let the Irish down irrespective of the impressive and solid 23 runs amassed by Kevin O’Brien.

2. Adam Zampa once again proves his worth 

Adam Zampa has been tipped by one and all to make it big on the international stage. Having impressed thus far, it seems clear that Zampa has not allowed the fame to get to him one bit. Being one of the senior bowlers in the side, Zampa led by example as he claimed 3 wickets and conceded just 37 runs in his 10 overs, something most certainly commendable for a leg-spin bowler.

3. Worrall impresses on debut

Prior to the start of the match, it was quite clear that one of the three uncapped players would make their debuts. Of these three, Daniel Worrall was the one to get his call to arms with Joe Mennie on the sidelines. Worrall was handed the new ball by Steve Smith and did not disappoint. Needless to say, he conceded just the 43 runs and picked his maiden ODI wicket of Gary Wilson.

4. Usman Khawaja sets Benoni ablaze

Usman Khawaja was rather subdued in the recently-concluded series against Sri Lanka. However, in spite of the setback, the 29-year old southpaw impressed with some fireworks at Benoni. He clobbered the likes of Peter Chase and Barry McCarthy as the Ireland pacers simply had no answer to the onslaught from Khawaja. He smashed 82 runs off just 77 deliveries including 2 sixes and 8 boundaries.

5. Steve Smith adds to the fireworks

Similar to Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith also had somewhat of a torrid time with the bat in Sri Lanka. However, as a responsible skipper does, Smith once again put the saddle on the horse’s back as he smashed a valiant half-century, an innings that complimented the innings of Khawaja. Moreover, he smashed 59 of 74 deliveries, an innings that showed that he was more than happy to play second fiddle if required.

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