Key events
Adam Zampa is player of the match for his 4fa
He reveals off the top that he came into this game with a back spasm. “Personally, I’ve not been at my best and felt like in the last game I could’ve bowled better and I haven’t been taking wickets to make it easier for the death guys. But it’s nice to be on the better side of the result tonight.” Says it took him a while to get into the game again today but the important piece for him is staying in a wicket-taking mindset. “Same role next game. It’s a big game against Pakistan at Bangalore, but it’s the same for me: take wickets.”
To think where Australia were at with Sri Lanka 125-0. For about an hour there, it felt like this was going to be one of the great misadventures. But showing how volatile tournament play can be, a collapse of 10/84 got them going and they were never going to let it slip in the chase, even after a wobble.
AUSTRALIA WIN BY 5 WKTS (88 balls to spare)
Stoinis DOES finish it with a SIX! He makes room to launch Wellalage over long-on – job done. Australia on the board, in some style, and with a decent chunk of Net Run Rate damage undone in the process. Relief for Cummins and co.
35.2 overs: Australia 215-5 (Maxwell 31, Stoinis 14) Target 210.
35th over: Australia 209-5 (Maxwell 31, Stoinis 14) Target 210. They’re keen to finish it this over, that’s easy to tell, but they can’t quite get Madushanka away – scores are level, with Stoinis back on strike to start the next over. There’s a whole bit here about why it is important to hit a four or a six in this situation if looking to properly max out on Net Run Rate, but I’ll spare you that.
34th over: Australia 202-5 (Maxwell 29, Stoinis 10) Target 210. Bang! Stoinis gets down low first ball and smashes his sweep, over midwicket for four, smashing into the advertising boards. A couple more with the spin to deep cover – that leaves 12 to win. He goes back to the sweep and misses, prompting a leg before shout, but he’s outside the line – no review. Oh and a beautiful shot again from the all-rounder to finish, using the crease to perfection, cutting behind point. He’s into double figures in a hurry, this game isn’t far from done – eight to win.
WICKET! Inglis c Theekshana b Wellalage 58 (59). Australia 192-5
We’ve seen Wellalage bowl some beautifully flighted deliveries tonight and this is another, Inglis picking the wrong one to throw his hands at, the ball floating to backward point where his spin twin takes it after a juggle. If you want to dare to dream as a Sri Lankan fan, they need 5/17 from here to win, which is roughly what they lost when batting earlier today to complete that collapse…
33rd over: Australia 192-4 (Inglis 58, Maxwell 29) Target 210. Oh dear – Kumara not having a good time of it down at third man, electing not to run in and catch an Inglis ball that flew down to him, saving the runs instead. A couple of Maxwell swings/misses – Madushanka has done really well tonight.
32nd over: Australia 189-4 (Inglis 56, Maxwell 28) Target 210. Huge from Maxwell, making room to mow over midwicket, picking Theekshaka’s googly… SIX runs. He’s scored off five balls thus far – all boundaries. Love to see it. And again to finish, over backward square with a sweep that just carries the journey for a second SIX in the over. 21 runs to win with drinks on the field.
31st over: Australia 176-4 (Inglis 55, Maxwell 16) Target 210. Madushanka, who has been brilliant tonight, goes again. Ooh, and he nearly gets a chance off Maxwell – a top edge that goes over the keepers’ head… it should be cut off but Kumara puts in half an effort at best. Sunny G on TV piles into him for it. “This is meant to be a World Cup!” Nice spray. Far more convincing from Maxwell later in the over when the full ball comes, making room and getting down low to slap him in Maxwellian fashion back over his head for four – raw power. And again! Four more, clearing the front leg to go over midwicket this time – he’s dealing exclusively in boundaries tonight as they try and finish this quickly.
30th over: Australia 163-4 (Inglis 54, Maxwell 4) Target 210. Thick edge, four. Maxwell did open the face of the blade to give him the angle behind point and that’s where it went. Ooh, googly to follow and Maxwell tries to pull it away but only gets a small, but necessary, under edge on it. 47 to win in 20 overs.
29th over: Australia 158-4 (Inglis 53, Maxwell 0) Target 210. One ball the new man to deal with here and it’s a sharp bouncer, ducked accordingly. On Maxwell, he’s been shuffled from five to six with Inglis’ introduction – partly, I assume, to free him up to do his best work in the pursuit of quick runs at the end of innings. That’s all this is from here and could help to give him a nice boost of confidence after a tough day against South Africa in particular.
WICKET! Labuschagne c Karunaratne b Madushanka 40 (60) Australia 158-4
Madushanka is back and whaddayaknow? He has three. Labuschagne can’t get on top of the bounce of the slower ball he’s trying to pull and places it straight to midwicket. In terms of the NRR chat, this is a good result for Australia with 52 to get and Maxwell/Stoinis to come. Nice stand with Inglis there, worth 77.
28th over: Australia 157-3 (Labuschagne 40, Inglis 52) Target 210. Shot! Labuschagne has done little of note in this innings but he has played his role, especially early on when Madushanka had it on a string. His second boundary, a perfectly placed pull shot here, takes him into the 40s. Given it is unclear who will make way when Head returns, this is not at all for nothing. Said a month ago that it was going to end up Smith v Labuschagne and it probably will.
Inglis to 52 from 46 balls!
27th over: Australia 153-3 (Labuschagne 36, Inglis 52) Target 210. What a lovely cricket shot to get there too, nailing a classical off-drive to the rope – his fifth four. I mentioned earlier that it might become unclear where Inglis fits as Carey’s replacement if he misses out here, well, he’s set up a decent run now.
There’s no way round it. The tv pictures of the crowd at Aus v SL make this look like a tinpot affair.
It just isn’t good enough. You can’t get a cab in India without people talking about the cricket, so why haven’t the BCCI managed to get them into the grounds?
— Rory Dollard (@thervd) October 16, 2023
26th over: Australia 146-3 (Labuschagne 35, Inglis 46) Target 210. This pair have now put on 65 in 69 balls, including five off Dhananjaya here. Coming together when Marsh was run out, this is just what they needed. But the 64 left to go, they’ll want to do that in 40-odd balls to have this knocked off by over 33.
25th over: Australia 141-3 (Labuschagne 31, Inglis 45) Target 210. Now Australia are! In the final over before halfway, it is their biggest over since the first in this chase – 14 off it including a massive hooked SIX from Inglis to finish up against the pace of the reintroduced Kumara, into the crowd (to the extent there is one) at backward square. Earlier in the over, the West Australian played a clever late cut wide of short third for the first four in a while. The NRR gallop is now on!
24th over: Australia 122-3 (Labuschagne 30, Inglis 27) Target 210. Clever from Inglis, getting Dhananjaya very fine past the ‘keeper, running away for three. Australia aren’t dealing in boundaries but Sri Lanka aren’t taking wickets.
23rd over: Australia 122-3 (Labuschagne 30, Inglis 27) Target 210. Inglis tries to turn up the volume by hooking Karunaratne but doesn’t get enough of it to reach or clear the ropes. A wide helps – too short, too high – then Inglis keeps the strike with a single out to deep cover. Seven off; 88 to get from 27 overs.
22nd over: Australia 115-3 (Labuschagne 28, Inglis 23) Target 210. Here comes (Jason Holder) Dhananjaaaaayaaaaaa (/Jason Holder). Three more singles. The required rate is irrelevant thanks to Marsh – they only need 3.6 an over. It’s the Net Run Rate situation they need to start turning attention to shortly. Having dropped two games, there’s a not-inconsiderable chance they’ll end up duking it out for fourth spot based on that annoying measure. They’re now into this on telly, per Shane Watson. “They have to be very aware of it.” He adds they can “unleash the beasts” in the form of Maxwell and Stoinis soon enough.
21st over: Australia 112-3 (Labuschagne 26, Inglis 22) Target 210. In the end, better from Karunaratne who bowled a wide early on – just three off.
Marcus Abdullahi has been busy (sort of). “The best I can find after two minutes of rather less than exhaustive research is the Denmark side of the 80s, who regularly fielded six or seven Ns. There were seven in the side that played the all-conquering Oz in 1989 and, perhaps uniquely, the top three all had the same surname, ie Jensen.” Always loved the fact that Australia’s 1989 tour, per cricinfo, is described as a trip to England and Denmark. More of that.
The whole premise of this is a myth, by the way. So confessed by Krishnamoorthy, who started us talking about these matters. “My brother-in-law (the in-house walking encyclopedia) Sai pointed out the presence of Wellenge and Mendis to deflate my claim to 9/11 from 11/11.”
Still, that ain’t bad.
20th over: Australia 109-3 (Labuschagne 25, Inglis 21) Target 210. Wellalage is bowling tidily, three off the left-armer here for 0/33 off 7. But tidy won’t get them the win – they need another big intervention. They need Labuschagne.
19th over: Australia 106-3 (Labuschagne 24, Inglis 19) Target 210. Chamika Karunaratne, who has enjoyed bowling against Australia in the past, is into the attack with his nagging little medium pacers. You don’t see many bowlers designated as a medium pacer these days, so I’ll enjoy. He begins well but doesn’t maintain his length, dropping short to Inglis who slaps safely over backward point for a nice little pressure release boundary. Might Theekshana be changing ends, or following Wellalage, I wonder? As they don’t really need a fifth bowler – this game, as Nas says on telly, will be over inside 40 overs.
18th over: Australia 101-3 (Labuschagne 24, Inglis 14) Target 210. Gorgeous bit of flight from Wellalage to finish, finding the outside edge of Inglis – who is yet to look settled but has a great opportunity here to lock down his spot – but four more runs for Australia tick the box at this stage. I do wonder what it takes for Australia from here to go back to Carey? Interesting omission, given he’s such an experienced operator over a number of years now. I appreciate his returns were diminishing but it’s asking a lot of Inglis. Has to make the most of this.
17th over: Australia 97-3 (Labuschagne 22, Inglis 12) Target 210. Theekshana continues, as the TV commentators foreshadow that he will to the end as Sri Lanka’s best spinner – he’ll bowl through. Five singles here, which works for Australia as they try and get into the groove with a fresh partnership.
16th over: Australia 92-3 (Labuschagne 19, Inglis 10) Target 210. The Marsh wicket came after a couple of quiet overs from the Sri Lankan tweekers and that’s what we get back to here with three singles off Wellalage. Inglis had the chance to profit from the final ball but he cut it straight to cover.
15th over: Australia 89-3 (Labuschagne 18, Inglis 8) Target 210. Inglis goes back to his first ball from Theekshaka and a thick edge spits past slip and runs away for four! It was too full for the shot; lucky. And luckier still to get a genuine full toss next up, slapped past mid-off for four. Back in defense to finish. And that’s the end of a successful over for Sri Lanka. They must take ten wickets.
Drinks are on the field. Oh, how Australia might be hurt by that. Next is Inglis, who was nowhere in his first World Cup hit, then Maxwell, who is yet to fire in this tournament. No need for panic with 129 needed in 35.3 overs but with Marsh ticking over as he was… that’s bad judgment from the West Australian.
WICKET! Marsh run out (Karunaratne/Kusal Mendis) 52 (51). Australia 81-3
Oh dear. Marsh cuts a short enough ball behind point and backs himself to get back for a second, in keeping with the way this pair have scampered between the wickets, but the throw from Karunarante is a bullet! Gone by a metre!
IS MARSH RUN OUT? It certainly looks that way! Upstairs we go…
14th over: Australia 79-2 (Marsh 51, Labuschagne 17) Target 210. Wellalage is on his hands and knees pleading for a leg before shout but there’s no review and rightly so – that’s missing leg stump by a long way on the angle from around the wicket to Marsh. But it’s a second frugal over in a row; just three off it.
13th over: Australia 76-2 (Marsh 50, Labuschagne 15) Target 210. Theekshana is the most likely of the Sri Lankan spinners so far, going for just one here. For what it’s worth, they were 70-0 at the same stage – before the collapse.
Has Australia finally turned up to the World Cup?
— Robert Amore (@SwedishAmore) October 16, 2023
If they close this out in style, that will certainly be the main news line.
Marsh to 50 in 39 balls!
12th over: Australia 75-2 (Marsh 50, Labuschagne 14) Target 210. Some innings. Especially after losing Warner and Smith, it is Marsh, who is a senior player these days, who had to find a way through playing the way he does and so far, so good. He got to the milestone with a ball clouted out to the off-side, which has been the defining characteristic of his stay so far. If he’s there for another ten overs, it’ll be just about game over no matter what happens at the other end.
“Wouldn’t England have gone close to achieving this in recent times?” asks Dave Wright to the question about teams ending in the same latter. “Broady, Rooty, Stokesy, Woakesy, Foakesy etc etc.” Very good. Jimmy still there too.
11th over: Australia 70-2 (Marsh 47, Labuschagne 12) Target 210. The field back, Theekshana is back too, and six runs to the sweepers. Sensible batting.
This will be a test of whether Mitch Marsh can build an innings or whether he can only take the attack to the opposition.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) October 16, 2023
10th over: Australia 64-2 (Marsh 45, Labuschagne 8) Target 210. Labuschagne nearly run out! A ping from backward point to the non-striker’s end doesn’t hit – how this turns if the throw is on. But alls well that ends well, two runs from Madushanka who has 2/14 from his five with 50 runs coming from the five overs at the other end in this power play. Marsh hit nine boundaries in it.
Hi Adam it feels like Smith misses more straight ones than he ever used to. I’ve no stats to back this up just vibes.
— Amelia (@Amelia02712681) October 16, 2023
Plenty in this. Shane Watson said something similar on TV.
9th over: Australia 62-2 (Marsh 44, Labuschagne 7) Target 210. With the field still up, Wellalage isn’t getting away with anything short to Marsh, who rocks back a helps himself to four over midwicket – his 7th boundary. Make it eight: too short again and creamed through point, where he loves it. And nine! More agricultural to an extent, over midwicket to a fuller ball, but he committed to it early and was deep enough in the crease to free up his swing, which is so strong. This is superb from the makeshift Aussie opener, remembering he will almost certainly shuffle down to No3 when Travis Head returns from injury.
Katey Martin makes the very obvious point on telly that Marnus has his pads around the wrong way, with the thick bits on the inside of his leg to enable the straps to sit that side, but her colleagues are trying to tell her otherwise. Odd.
8th over: Australia 50-2 (Marsh 32, Labuschagne 7) Target 210. Madushanka continues and rightly so. TV cuts to a package of Chaminda Vaas bowling out the Windies at the 2003 World Cup and the similarities are obvious – what a bowler he was. Marsh looks more at ease here, tucking a single to give Labuschagne the strike who does the same to finish but with a more acute angle, playing late enough and timed well enough to run away for four. Tidy.
7th over: Australia 45-2 (Marsh 31, Labuschagne 3) Target 210. Wellalage gets a twist inside the power play as well, highlighting that Sri Lanka knows this game is there to be won right now, not in an hour or so with the field back. Three singles from the set, which both teams would probably be happy with.
“Good afternoon Adam.” Hello, Krishnamoorthy. “Just a bit of trivia. All players have names ending with ‘a’ in the Sri Lankan team. Surely no other cricket team can claim this badge. Football yes, I recall a Bulgarian team with all ending in v.”
Is anyone able to find out if/when this has happened before?
6th over: Australia 42-2 (Marsh 29, Labuschagne 2) Target 210. At last, runs off Madushanka – the first ball of his third over is lashed behind point by Marsh for another dominant boundary. It’s a game in two at the moment – what’s going on when the big boy is facing and what’s going on for everyone else. The left-armer keeps asking great questions though, really hooping it into the right-handers while having the change-up the other way off the seam. It’s a probing delivery of the swinging variety to Labuschagne to finish, very similar to the ball that got Smith, but he gets the ball down in time and adds two more to the tally.
NOT OUT! Good review – it’s thigh pad. Labuschagne laughs; Australia breathes.
5th over: Australia 35-2 (Marsh 24, Labuschagne 0) Target 210. Between times, Marsh strokes a gorgeous boundary through point and hits an equally superb cover drive to the rope off Kumara. It’s alllllll happening at Lucknow.
