ODI World Cup 2023: England vs Australia, Match 36 - Who Said What?

The oldest rivalry of cricket was put on display in the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023 on Saturday, November 4 in a Day/Night clash, as England and Australia crossed swords at the beautiful Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera, Ahmedabad. The Pat Cummins-led side emerged victorious comfortably at the end, courtesy of all-round performances from the team.

After being put in to bat first, the Australian openers didn't get off to a good start, as both Travis Head and David Warner went cheaply. However, the middle-order tried to stabilize the innings, coupled with late blows from the tail-enders, as Australia got bundled out for 286 without playing the full quota of 50 overs.

When it came to the chase, England lost a wicket on the very first ball in the form of Jonny Bairstow. England never really recovered, as wickets kept tumbling at regular intervals. Eventually, the Three Lions were bundled out for 253 in 48.1 overs, as they lost the game by 34 runs. With this upsetting loss, the defending champions were officially out of the tournament.

Talking Points

1. Marnus Labuschagne hits a gritty half-century -

While Australia had a start full of hurdles, it was Marnus Labuschagne who scored 71 runs off 83 balls before getting dismissed by Mark Wood. He played a crucial role alongside Cameron Green, who made 47, to post a decent total on the board for the Aussies. His knock included seven boundaries.

2. Ben Stokes' knock goes in vain - 

After losing early wickets, Dawid Malan (50 off 64) and Ben Stokes (64 off 90) tried to stabilize the sinking ship. Stokes took time to get going, but once he got settled in, he took the juice out of Australia's bowling. The southpaw's knock went in vain, as he couldn't see the team through, as he got stuck in the spinning web of Adam Zampa.

3. Adam Zampa's all-round show - 

When the middle-order failed to get going, it was Adam Zampa who took the bowling attack to the cleaners by hitting 29 runs off just 19 balls, which helped Australia post higher than expected. With the ball, he was again sensational, picking up three prized scalps of Stokes, Jos Buttler, and Moeen Ali. He also took a sensational catch to end his excellent outing at the field, thereby contributing with a match-winning 360-degree performance.

Who Said What?

Jos Buttler (Losing Skipper) - Disappointment, we were having the same chat after the match. Improvements today, more with the bat, but we were still well short, no complaints if you lose by 30 runs. A low point as a captain, you stand in this position, you came to India with high hopes and expectations, we haven't done ourselves any justice, everyone knows how much hard work we've put, these losses weigh high on our shoulders. We did well (with the ball), but we could have done better, we let them put up frustrating little partnerships. With the dew around, we backed ourselves, and we fell 30 runs short. It was the right shot to play (on his dismissals), the execution wasn't great, I was trying to take it back to them. I haven't played as well as I can, in such a pivotal position, I think I let myself and my team down. Only way to come back is to put in the hard yards at the nets and come back better in the next game.

Pat Cummins [Winning Skipper] - It's been great, the boys played brilliantly, we're getting better with each match. We've improved with each game, still not playing the perfect game. It's something we pride ourselves on, we didn't start well, but the boys have put their hands up, ever since the first 2 games. He has been bowling beautifully in the last 3 games (on Zampa), made 29 and took a banger (of a catch). We thought it was a good wicket and would probably break up to his strength. Maxi and Mitchy will be back, they have had a great tournament and for the others to come in and put in a performance was nice. It wasn't too bad tonight (on the dew), sometimes we do see players getting wet as they slide on, but it wasn't that bad today.