ENG vs AUS | Takeaways - Finch-Warnerâs brilliance at the top and England fizzling out under fire
With two back-to-back defeats, England chances of making it to the semi-finals are only getting slimmer. On the back of Aaron Finchâs century, Australia put up a fighting total on a tricky situation and were equally supported by their bowlers as the team sculpt a spot in the semi-finals.
Finch-Warner at the top is like a double-edged sword
A double-edged sword is the one that cuts both ways and it is safe enough to say that the pair of Aaron Finch and David Warner at the top has cut the opposition more often than not. They share the top two spots for the most runs in the tournament with Warner being at the apex and have got the team off to brisk starts on a consistent basis.
The conditions were overcast and the pitch was just perfect for seam bowlers to have a go. England put Australia to bat first and the first overs was no less than a Test match for the Australian openers. They had to bid their time as the ball was swinging and there was some movement off the surface as well. Finch and Warner not only negotiated the intimidating attack but also got the scoreboard ticking after getting their eyes in.Â
The duo stitched a match-winning stand under taxing conditions and ensured the middle-order had a good platform to post a total of anywhere around 350. Daid Warnerâs strike-rate has been a little questionable but he wasnât bogged down this time and played a gritty knock before being dismissed by Moeen Ali. Finch went on to score a tenacious hundred and ensured he made the most of the fantastic start in such a high pressure game. Unfortunately for Australia, just when Finch was all set to unleash a barrage of monstrous strokes, Jofra Archer got the better of him to break Australiaâs spine.
Ben Stokes plays with his bat, ball and heartÂ
The value of an all-rounder is widely-known and player of a Stokesâ calibre can be weighed in gold. He is equally influential in all the departments and has given it all for England this tournament. After a heart-break in previous counter against Sri Lanka, where Stokes remained stranded at one end while wickets kept tumbling at the other, Stokes once again sprung a herculean performance under fire.Â
Walked into bat when England were precariously placed at 26 for 3, Stokes stuck to his guns and weathered the early storm with sheer brilliance. His calculations were astute and took on the formidable bowling with unmatched confidence. England had a mountain to climb and Stokes gave an impression of carrying the team over the line this time.
The southpaw bid his time initially and then wisely rotated the strike as per the situation. Whenever there was a loose in his zone, Stokes didnât shy away from using his muscular power to hit it for a boundary. Stokesâ counter-attack was narrowing down the margin and threatened to take the game away from Australia when Aaron Finch summoned his best bowler into the attack. Mitchell Starc produced a gem of a delivery to clean up Stokes, who had faced 114 deliveries before being stunned by a toe-crushing Yorker.
He may have not got the team over the line once again, but his innings deserves accolades. Stokes played his part with perfection and there was hardly anything he could have done about that delivery, which got the better of him. England were too heavily reliant on him and needed a couple of more batsmen to step up and deliver.
Is the pressure of World Cup getting the better of England?
Prior to the start of the World Cup, England were red hot favourites and one could have crystal glazed and seen them running through oppositions with ease but it hasnât panned out as expected. Seven games down the line, England have lost three and now find themselves in hot water and their chances of making it to the semi-finals are in jeopardy. Â
England lost all the three games while chasing and all the targets were not daunting at all. In fact, two out of three chases were under 300 and a regulation one for the star-studded line-up. There is no hidden fact that Jason Royâs absence has hurt them massively at the top but the batting on a whole has crumbled under pressure.Â
Against Pakistan, there were two centurions in the English line-up yet they ended up on the losing side because neither of the two played till the end and others just didnât step up. Sri Lanka were never going to be a tough nut to crack but Englandâs batting once again floundered while chasing 225.Â
Coming to Australia, England had won last 10 out of 11 ODIs against the arch-rivals but what happened today? The target was well under their reach but wickets fell like ninepins at the top and it needed a miracle for them to pull it back from there. The question is - whatâs really happening to England? Is the pressure of playing a grand tournament getting the better of them like it did in 2017 Champions Trophy. With two games to go against a consistent side, it will be interesting to see if England overcome the mental barrier?