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The return of Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Marsh will enhance Australia’s charge toward the World Cup semi-finals after Adam Zampa strode from a mountain trek to help extinguish a demoralised England.
A fifth successive victory, this time by 33 runs on Saturday night in Ahmedabad, has given Australia breathing space in third place and left defending champions England on the bottom of the table with just one win after Adam Zampa prevented another Ben Stokes miracle.
Australian spinner Adam Zampa of Australia celebrates the wicket of Moeen Ali of England.Credit: Getty Images
“It’s really satisfying, it’s probably the most satisfying ODI I’ve ever played to be honest,” Zampa said after being named player of the match. “They were really satisfying wickets, (Jos) Buttler and (Ben) Stokes, and Moeen Ali.”
The leg-spinner spent two days trekking in the Himalayas this week before conjuring a remarkable 3/21 from his 10 overs despite heavy dew, reclaiming the mantle of the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 19. He had Stokes caught behind square for 64, snuffing out the last serious vestige of an England challenge.
“It was really nice,” Zampa said of his mountain sojourn. “I have my family here. We stayed in Dharamshala for a few extra days (after the New Zealand game). “I wore a few robes and found myself up there in the hills,” he added with a laugh. “Just went on a couple of treks … I was a recluse for a few days.”
Zampa also played an innings of rare value, swatting and swiping 29 from just 19 balls, just his third score of 20 or more in 92 ODI matches, and added an equally rare, diving outfield catch to complete his repertoire.
“It’s nice to contribute with the bat, it felt good, and then the catch, I mean, I am not known as the best fielder in the world, but it’s satisfying when things come off like that, so it’s a good feeling,” Zampa said.
“I hadn’t had a hit since Trent Boult ripped my off pole out against New Zealand a week ago. So, I can’t lie to you and say I’ve been working on my batting this week either.”
With a full squad available to choose from for the first time in the tournament, Australia must beat the surprising Afghanistan on Tuesday, or Bangladesh next Saturday, in the remaining group matches to be sure of a semi-final berth.
Glenn Maxwell trained strongly during the week following his golf cart concussion last Monday and Mitch Marsh is returning from Perth on Sunday after the death of his grandfather Ross last Friday. The players wore black arm bands in his honour.
Three teams are a win behind Australia after Pakistan had a remarkable DLS victory over New Zealand, despite the Kiwis mustering 400.
New Zealand, Pakistan and Afghanistan all have four wins, with Afghanistan’s clever spinners posing a threat to Australia in Mumbai. This was highlighted on Saturday night when England’s wrist spinner Adil Rashid, with 2/38, proved the most difficult of England’s bowlers for Australia to counter.
Australia’s reliance on their openers for a flying start was laid bare when Travis Head (11) and David Warner (15) both went cheaply playing in typically expensive fashion.
Attempted domination became accumulation and Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne went into Test match mode. Once again they built foundations but failed to add the penthouse.
Smith batted for five hours in the nets leading into the match to try and lift his modest output and was distraught when, not for the first time in this tournament, he sliced a wide ball to backward point off a spinner for another soft dismissal.
He made 44 from 52 balls and handed his wicket to Rashid for the seventh time in one-day internationals. No other bowler has dismissed Smith more than five times in ODIs. Smith is averaging 29 for the tournament.
Labuschagne (71 from 83 balls), made his second half-century of the tournament without ever dominating but was the only player to pass 50 in a staccato innings.
Cameron Green, filling in for the absent Marsh, got his tournament underway after two scores of eight, making 47 from 52 balls, and Marcus Stoinis, returning from a calf twinge to replace Maxwell, clubbed a couple of brutal sixes in 35 from 32 balls before being caught on the boundary attempting a third.
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