Australia needed 39 runs from last six overs with 9 wickets in hand. In a space of 13 balls adding only 9 runs, Australia lost four crucial wickets that included both the set batsmen Warner and Smith. England further choked the flow of runs and managed to steal a victory right uner the nose of Australians. Scorecard
Malan’s fifty propels England to 162
Australia won the toss and elected to bowl first. Buttler carried his form from the tests and the added license to play freely translated into a brisk start for England. He took 16 runs of Agar’s over, second of the innings. It included two big hits and a boundary. The flow of runs was checked by Cummins with Bairstow’s wicket, edged to short third man. Australia scored 55 runs in the powerplay, 41 of those from Buttler’s bat.
Introduction of spin in the form of Zampa and Agar and later Maxwell, from both ends post powerplay restricted the run flow. In order to up the ante, Buttler lost his wicket- a pull of Agar that was caught short of boundary. Agar also accounted for Banton, who tried to loft Agar against the spin, only to edge it to covers. Morgan fell in a similar way, trying to send Maxwell into orbit, but not getting proper connection. Maxwell got Ali too, edged a reverse sweep to short third man.
Unscathed by the falling wickets at another end, Malan kept on playing his shots and steadily got to his fifty off 37 balls. He then plundered 22 off Zampa’s last over that included two consecutive big hits- one slog swept and another over long-off. His 66 off 43 balls comprising of five 4s and three 6s helped England get to an eventual score of 162. He was caught brilliantly by Smith at wide long-off trying to pierce the gap between long off and extra cover via aerial route. It was a below par score by England and would require something special from their bowlers to pull this off.
Australia run chase
Australia could not have got a better start to their run chase as both openers began with a flourish. English pacers Wood and Archer were firing all the cylinders, bowling above 150kmph consistently but this only aided Aussies to place the ball in gaps and fetch boundaries. Even the introduction of spin could not tame the openers as in Rashid’s second over 17 runs were scored, including a six and 2 fours from Finch on successive balls. At half-way stage Australia were 91 without loss and sailing through without much issues. Finch got to his 2000 international runs in T20Is but fell short by 4 runs for his fifty. He could not clear the mid off against Archer’s delivery. Warner reached his fifty in 37 balls and was steadily taking his team to required target with Smith at other end.
The twist in the tale
But suddenly a barrage of wickets completely changed the complexion of the game. It started with Smith’s wicket- got edge while sweeping Rashid’s leg spin. In the same over Maxwell could not clear Morgan at covers. Archer got rid of Warner by a scorching Yorker that ricocheted off his shoes to wickets. Lastly Wood castled Carey with his sheer pace.
Australia required 19 off last two overs with Stoinis and Agar in the middle. However Jordan bowled a brilliant penultimate over where he conceded only 4 runs and even got Agar run out by his athleticism. Curran was trusted by Morgan to defend 15 in the last over. First three balls has two dots and a six from Stoinis. Then two couples meant Stoinis would have to hit a boundary for superover or a six for victory on the last ball. But a yorker meant England would successfully defend the target and win by 2 runs. Dawid Malan, for his innings of 66, was adjudged Man of the Match.