ENG vs AUS | Failure to do the basics well resulted in Australiaā€™s horror collapse, notes Shane Warne

ENG vs AUS | Failure to do the basics well resulted in Australiaā€™s horror collapse, notes Shane Warne

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Australia slumped to an embarrassing defeat on Sunday

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Australian legend Shane Warne has claimed that it was the visitorsā€™ inability to execute the basics properly that resulted in their shock 24-run defeat at the hands of England on Sunday. Cruising at 144/2 chasing a paltry 232, the Aussies suffered a stunning collapse to hand England the game.

After having restricted England to just 231/9 on the back of yet another outstanding bowling performance, Australia, with Finch and Labuschagne well set and with the score 144/2, looked well on their way to sealing a convincing series win. However, as was the case in the first T20I, the visitors suffered a shock, unexpected collapse, losing 4 wickets for just 3 runs, and that eventually resulted in them falling short of the target by 24 runs, despite a valiant effort from wicket-keeper Alex Carey.

Shane Warne, who was critical about the Aussiesā€™ approach on air, noted that it was the visitorsā€™ inability to execute the basics which cost them the game. The Aussie legend opined that the defeat was a ā€˜real punch in the gutā€™ for Australia.

"Australia hadn't played cricket for quite a long time so you sort of excuse them [that collapse] in the first T20, even though it cost them that series," Warne told Sky Sports.

"They have been pretty good since then but this will be a real punch in the guts for Australia. They pride themselves on getting over the line in those sorts of games and doing the basics well.

"They didn't do that - they weren't good enough, with Aaron Finch the only batsman to really show any touch. It's 1-1 ahead of the last day of the international summer. Who writes these scripts?"

One of the silver linings for Australia in the forgettable encounter was the performance of skipper Aaron Finch, who struck a fine 73 before falling prey to the seam of Chris Woakes. But despite excelling with the bat, the Aussie skipper expressed his anger and disgust over his sideā€™s unacceptable showing with the bat on Sunday.

"I'm very disappointed. There is no excuse for that collapse,ā€ said the 33-year-old.

"Our guys will have their own plans but I think at times we might not be 100 per cent committed to our plans, at times we may overplay the situation in our head, so we have to get better at that."

In fact, so annoyed was Finch that he berated his own performance and stated that given heā€™d done the hard work and gotten to 73, he should have taken responsibility and seen the team home.Ā 

'Not really. When you have an opportunity to get the team home and you don't it is disappointing. We knew it was always going to be tough for new batters to start on a wicket like that.

"England squeezed, bowled really good lengths and it was hard to take them on down the ground and hit boundaries in that middle period."

The result means that the teams will head into the decider at Old Trafford on Wednesday with the series level at 1-1.Ā 

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