Australia defeat England by five wickets in ICC Champions Trophy clash
Cricket
Australia reach the total in the 48th over with five wickets in hand
LAHORE (Dunya News) – Australia defeated England by five wickets in ICC Champions Trophy at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.
Chasing a target of 352, Australia reached the total in the 48th over with five wickets in hand.
Wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis played a match-winning knock, scoring an unbeaten 120 runs off 86 balls.
Alex Carey contributed 69, Matt Short added 63, while Marnus Labuschance scored 47.
Travis head and Captain Steve Smith managed 6 and 5 runs, respectively. Glenn Maxwell remained unbeaten on 32.
For England, Adil Rashid, Liam Livingstone, Mark Wood, Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse picked one wicket each.
Earlier, England set a target of 352 runs for injury-hit Australia on Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium wicket which seems akin to an "absolute road".
Ben Duckett stole the show with a splendid knock of 165 off 143 balls, making the mockery of Aussie bowling attack. Joe Root scored 78 and the partnership between the two paved the way for a massive score on the board. Butler returned to the pavilion on 23.
Earlier, Joe Root and Ben Duckett joined and England eyed 350-plus total on 'absolute road' at the Gaddafi Stadium.
England lost Phil Salt (10) and Jamie Smith (15) before Root and Duckett carried third wicket partnership.
Ben Dwarshuis was the only wicket taker who struck twice inside the powerplay.
Australia won the toss and elected to field against their arch-rival England in the Champions Trophy game played in Lahore.
A depleted Australian side faces a stern test against an out-of-form England as the two Ashes rivals clash at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Saturday in the Champions Trophy 2025.
Injuries have ravaged Australia, with five key players missing from their original squad, leaving stand-in captain Steve Smith with an uphill battle in a crucial group-stage encounter.
Australia’s bowling woes
Australia’s renowned fast-bowling trio—Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc—will all be absent, robbing the team of its lethal pace attack.
The absence of all-rounders Mitchell Marsh and Cameron Green due to injuries has further compounded their troubles, while Marcus Stoinis’ unexpected retirement has forced Australia to call upon fresh faces to fill the void.
England, sensing an opportunity, have named a fiery pace attack featuring Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, and Brydon Carse, with Adil Rashid’s spin adding another dimension to their bowling arsenal.
Batting-friendly conditions await
Gaddafi Stadium, hosting its first Champions Trophy match, is expected to favor the batters, with recent games at the venue producing 300-plus totals. A spell of rain has cooled conditions slightly, though showers on Thursday disrupted England’s practice session. Despite the weather shift, dew is unlikely to impact the game.
With both teams struggling in different ways, today’s clash promises to be a fascinating battle of resilience and adaptability.
With a flat pitch and favourable batting conditions, teams will likely aim for big totals, making bowling strategies crucial in what promises to be a high-scoring contest.
