Lahore, Feb 22 (UNI) Josh Inglis’ blistering century propelled Australia to a record-breaking chase as they overhauled England’s formidable 351/8 to secure a five-wicket victory in the ICC Champions Trophy on Saturday.
Inglis’ maiden ODI hundred powered Australia to the highest successful chase in ICC ODI tournaments, reaffirming their reputation as a side that thrives in high-pressure situations.
Opting to bowl first, Australia endured a tough start as England’s Ben Duckett hammered a stunning 165, guiding his team to the highest-ever total in Champions Trophy history.
Duckett found strong support from Joe Root (68), but Australia fought back through Adam Zampa (2/64) and part-time spinner Marnus Labuschagne (2/41), who applied the brakes in the latter half. Ben Dwarshuis also impressed with figures of 3/66, restricting England to 351/8.
Australia’s chase started shakily as they lost Travis Head (6) and Steve Smith (5) within five overs, leaving the task to Labuschagne and Matt Short, who stitched a crucial 95-run stand for the third wicket. Labuschagne (47 off 45) fell attempting to accelerate against Adil Rashid, while Short (63 off 66, 9x4 1x6) followed suit soon after against Liam Livingstone.
With Australia at a precarious stage, Alex Carey (69) joined Inglis at the crease and the duo constructed a match-winning 146-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Carey’s dismissal brought Glenn Maxwell to the middle, and he sealed the victory with his trademark finishing prowess. However, the night truly belonged to Inglis, who switched gears after a watchful start and dismantled England’s attack with audacious stroke play, reaching his century off just 77 balls—the second-fastest in Champions Trophy history, only behind Virender Sehwag’s 77-ball ton in 2002. His partnership with Alex Carey was the second-highest for Australia in the tournament’s history.
Ben Duckett’s 165 was the highest individual score ever recorded in Champions Trophy history, surpassing previous records in the tournament.
Despite Jofra Archer’s ability to extract significant swing, particularly in the Powerplay, England’s bowling lacked the cutting edge to defend their total. Smith’s struggles against Mark Wood continued, with the Australian batsman managing just 61 runs in 10 ODI innings against the English pacer at an average of 15.25.
With this thrilling victory, Australia have once again demonstrated their ability to rise to the occasion in ICC tournaments, solidifying their status as one of the most formidable sides in world cricket.
UNI BDN SS