A great side like Australia cannot be put under pressure for a long time; they are five-time world champions. Australia convincingly defeated Sri Lanka to secure their first win of the cricket World Cup. Now, they are moving on to Bangalore for another thrilling encounter against Pakistan, who suffered their first defeat of the tournament to India in Ahmedabad on Saturday.
Australia will take many positives from their win over Sri Lanka. For the first 24-25 overs of the match, Australia struggled to gain control, but as is often the case with good sides, they only need a small window of opportunity to regain control, and once they do, it becomes increasingly challenging for the opposition.
A moment of brilliant catch by David Warner brought Australia back into the game in the 24th over when Pathum Nissanka mistimed a shot over deep mid-wicket. Two overs later, another brilliant bowling effort by Pat Cummins dismissed the well-set Kusal Perera, who was looking to put the Australian bowlers under pressure.
It is rightly said that 50-over cricket is a long game. From 155/1 to being all-out at 210, Sri Lanka slumped like a house of cards. Batters came and went, but none were capable enough to build upon the solid foundation provided by Kusal Perera and Pathum Nissanka, both of whom had half-centuries to their name.
Cummins bowled brilliantly, removing both openers. Once the well-set batters were dismissed, Adam Zampa ran through the middle-order batsmen. He struggled early on in the innings but found his bowling rhythm, picking up 4 wickets for 47 runs in 8 overs.
Almost every Australian bowler had a similar story. Mitchell Starc couldn’t find his rhythm in the first 10 overs, but once the ball got older, he was at his best, picking up 2 wickets for 43 runs. Starc has played 21 matches in the cricket World Cup and has taken wickets in each of them. Such is the class of this Australian prime fast bowler.
There are plenty of positives for Australia in this match. Most importantly, Mitch Marsh was hitting the ball nicely, which is a good sign for Australia as they move forward in the tournament. Marsh’s half-century was the first by an Australian batter in this tournament. David Warner appeared fit, but there’s much to be said about the Aussies becoming victims of Joel Wilson’s umpiring.
Marnus Labuschagne is finding it difficult, and it appears that he hasn’t been able to adapt to the game’s demands. Rotating strikes is going to be key in this World Cup, but unfortunately, Marnus has struggled to do so in all the matches in this tournament.
Another significant positive for Australia is how beautifully Josh Inglis batted. There was never a doubt about his talent, but filling big shoes can be a challenge, and Inglis is adept at delivering high-class innings. He is going to be crucial for Australia in the middle overs if the team is to stay alive in the pursuit of World Cup glory.
