This match had to be won by Australia. They were in trouble at four or five wickets down. That’s when they picked themselves up. They recovered and made a match of it before winning it.
England tried hard. They were in it for longer than expected. But it was actually match over after Australia made 286 from 117-4. England did not stand a chance on this pitch in Ahmedabad where the ball gripped, slipped and asked other questions.
It was close going by numbers and the scoreboard. England, the defending champions, fought hard as the eventual score would show. Chasing that total was not easy and England did remarkably well batting second on this pitch. Getting close was alright but not good enough.
There was this delivery from Mitch Starc which showed how difficult it was going for England. It was early on in that innings. It was wicked. Bowled from that angle, showing the left-hander how to grope outside off without being able to put bat to ball. It was a statement. These kinds of things won the day for them.
Something has to be said about the Australian fielding in the deep in the outfield. This was not about commitment. It was about supreme technique. The way they slipped, slid and stopped those balls was exemplary. David Warner was the front runner, Marnus Labuschagne was not far behind. They ran, threw their bodies at everything.
It was not easy after what looked like a simple start for Australia. They began well, consolidated and yet lost their way. It took a mid-innings resurrection to bring them back. Cam Green, Marcus Stoinis, give it to them. They brought the team back. There were significant contributions from the lower order as well. It’s about the sum total of parts. Here was a perfect example.
That was a huge part of this match. This Australian middle and lower order took them to victory. They were about to get bowled out for a total which would not have been enough. The way these later batters contributed was the difference.
England, obviously, did not begin well. They were pegged back from the first ball. Starc and Josh Hazlewood did some wonderful things with the ball which was difficult to do. They made it jag around from awkward lengths. It was a top-quality effort of the highest order. They ran them ragged.
It should have been match over at that stage, but England fought back. And that made it such an engrossing match. Ben Stokes gritted and fought, so did Moeen Ali. There was a situation when on paper the match looked like slipping away from Australia. Adam Zampa rose to the occasion.
It is this point of finding people at the most opportune moments who put their hands up and did the job. Australia have found quite a few who are doing it. Certainly, credit goes to Pat Cummins, the captain. It’s not only about him. Steve Smith also contributed. So did many others.
This is a sign of a team on the rise. Down in the initial stage of this World Cup, they have made a comeback. Troubled in the absence of some key players, they have not cowered away. Watch out for them. This is a team on the bounce back. Rivals, be wary. Very wary.