AUS VS ENG ODI

So, on a cold afternoon which turned into a freezing evening, England maintain their recent winning run at Lord's and are a win away from making this a near-perfect summer. With series wins over West Indies and Sri Lanka and just three losses to Australia in 6 white-ball games, the hosts would be keen to have the final say about who is bossing the game, come Sunday, 29th September, 2024, when the 5th and final ODI and also, the final game of England's summer of 2024 will be played. There is a lot of talk about bad weather in Bristol for Sunday but why talk about something which has not happened yet? Weather forecasts keep changing and let's hope for the same come Sunday. Australia would be equally desperate to win the ego battle and remember, they are about to enter into a summer of their own, filled with challenges and they would want to get there with confidence. If everything is fine, the first ball should be balled at 10 am GMT, but irrespective, we shall be in early in advance. So do tune in early and enjoy your Sunday along with us. Until then, you can catch the action from the Sri Lanka-New Zealand Test series, Ireland-South Africa series and also the India-Bangladesh series. ADIOS! TAKE CARE!

Victorious England captain, HARRY BROOK, IS ALSO ADJUDGED THE PLAYER OF THE MATCH. Brook asserts that even though England did not win the first two games, they took a lot of positives from those and then a lot of momentum came from the third ODI. On Ben Duckett, Harry says that he is a special player and as long as he is there in the middle, the score keeps ticking. On the batting approach, HB says that the plan was to basically target the boundary early in the over, to put pressure on the bowler. Praises his seamers for bowling consistently and not giving anything loose. Is happy to see Jofra Archer back at his best. Does not want to think too much about his own form and only wants to focus on winning the series in Bristol in the final match.

Australia's captain, MITCHELL MARSH, admits that Australia were a bit off the radar in this game. Details that England did not give them early wickets while batting and then, totally outplayed his team. Is at a loss of words when asked about how to best approach a target of 312 in 39 overs and ends up saying that Australia tried to come out hard but just kept losing wickets and that's cricket. Is eager to put this loss behind and come out charging afresh, for the decider on Sunday.

... THE PRESENTATION ...

Earlier in the day, Australia started really well after winning the toss, restricting England to 35/0 at the end of 8 overs in a truncated match. However, what followed next was total massacre as the next 31 overs went for 277 runs. Barring Will Jacks and Phil Salt, everyone had a go at the Aussie bowlers, scoring runs at will. Skipper Harry Brook (87) and Ben Duckett (63) scored half centuries while Liam Livingstone's 25-ball half century towards the end, with 7 sixes, which also included 28 runs in the last over from Mitchell Starc (6 0 6 6 6 4), was the icing on the cake. It was a forgettable game for Australia overall but this onslaught on their 'experienced' bowlers by an 'inexperienced' batting unit is something they will not be able to digest. Please stay tuned for the presentation...

England, on the other hand, would have shut many a critic, who was calling them an inexperienced unit before this series. Matthew Potts and Jofra Archer could not quite contain the Aussies with the new balls but it was Brydon Carse who started to pile on the pressure on Australia. Potts then got a change of ends and all of a sudden, England's so-called inexperienced bowling attack became unplayable. The duo shared combined figures of 14-2-74-7, which broke the back of Australia. Archer then returned supremely in his second spell, which read 4-0-13-2, wherein, with a kick-off delivery to Marnus Labuschagne, reminding us of his welcome to him as Smith's concussion substitute in the 2019 Ashes, followed by wickets of Marsh and Maxwell, showed that at last, the Archer which the whole of England and the world are waiting for, is at last, back.

Australia came out swinging, as expected, chasing a mammoth target of 313 in 39 overs. Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh got them off to a rollicking start, raising 68 in just 51 balls before the 52nd ball spelt doom for Head and Australia. It was just a wicket but that just opened the floodgates. England bowlers started hitting the right lengths and all of a sudden, the visitors were like cats in front of a car's headlights. From 68/0, Australia slipped to 96/6 - losing 6/28 in 43 balls. It was not any uncanny shot making but pure delight to watch the ball swing around like a hoop. And as it would be, only Head and Marsh crossed 20, with only two others reaching double figures.

Another irony is that when this series began, it was a clash between England's inexperience against Australia's experience. The hosts did not have too much to talk about in terms of their bowling ahead of this series, which was seen under pressure in all the previous matches. But in this one, in their second back-to-back do-or-die game, pace and swing did it for them. Yes, they had a massive cushion of 312 runs in 39 overs to defend but under lights, that pitch at Lord's became like a nightmare for the Aussies.

Complete annihilation. That is the best way to describe England's victory over Australia in this game. After winning 14 ODIs on the bounce after their loss to South Africa in the 2023 World Cup, Australia have now lost two on the bounce. Ironically, they won the first two games with a depleted side and when they got to their full strength, they have been beaten and beaten badly.

OUT! BOWLED! It also brings up the 50th wicket in ODIs for Adil Rashid against Australia. It is a straighter one, around leg stump, a tad short, which stays low as well. Josh Hazlewood rocks back to pull but is defeated by the lack of bounce and the ball hits the leg stump. ENGLAND WIN BY 186 RUNS AND LEVEL THE SERIES 2-2!

OUT! BOWLED! It also brings up the 50th wicket in ODIs for Adil Rashid against Australia. It is a straighter one, around leg stump, a tad short, which stays low as well. Josh Hazlewood rocks back to pull but is defeated by the lack of bounce and the ball hits the leg stump. ENGLAND WIN BY 186 RUNS AND LEVEL THE SERIES 2-2!

The googly, short in length, outside off, Starc spoons a cut over point for a single.

Around off, punched towards mid off.

3 WIDES. Massive turn but misdirected. Rashid bowls it too full down the leg side, Starc looks to sweep but misses. Initially, Starc says wait but then, when he sees that the ball has gone far, starts to run and completes a couple.

A full toss, around middle, Mitchell Starc whips it through mid-wicket and oh wow - does not take the single. He does want to take on the leggie. If there is anything in his slot, watch out for that slog sweep over mid-wicket.

Outside off, pushed towards point to end a DOUBLE-WICKET MAIDEN! Sensational figures for Matthew Potts as he finishes his job with figures of 8-2-38-4. Unfortunately for him, he cannot get a 5-fer.

Around off, good bounce, Hazlewood is unable to rise with the bounce but somehow fends it towards the slips, on the bounce.