Australia's series win in Smith-Starc-Zampa

Aus win by 72 runs । Photo:AFP

After 61, 105, 80, he made 94 runs today. There is no doubt that Steve Smith is enjoying the fifty over version. However, Smith himself said after the first ODI against England that he is in the best shape he has been in the last six years.

However, not only Smith shined against England, Australia won by performing as a team. Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh's fifties, Mitchell Starc and Adam Jumper's brilliant bowling, Australia defeated the current T20 champions by 72 runs. They won the first two matches of the three-match series to secure the series win.

This is Australia's second ODI since Aaron Finch's retirement. Pat Cummins, who started the ODI captaincy in the previous match, was rested. Another pacer Jos Hazlewood has captained Australia in his place. England's regular captain Jos Buttler was also rested. England is led by vice-captain Moeen Ali.

Man of the match Starc । Photo AFP

Batting first in Sydney, the two openers David Warner and Travis Head, who scored half-centuries in the previous ODI, could not increase the innings. Within the first 10 overs, after the departure of the two openers, Smith and Labuschagne took the lead of the innings and made a pair of 101 runs. Both returned as victims of Adil Rashid.

With this, Smith became the victim of Rashid the most in ODI cricket six times. Apart from Smith and Labuchen, Mitchell Marsh also got a half-century. In the end, Australia scored 280 runs in the innings with 18 runs off 12 balls by Aston Agar. Rashid took 3 wickets. 

In response, England fell under Mitchell Starc's cannon at the beginning. Jason Roy, who has been in poor form at the end, also returned empty-handed. David Malan, who scored a century in the previous match, also had to return before opening the run book in a wonderful delivery by Starc. England had turned around a lot in handling the Stark storm. That work was done by James Vince and Sam Billings. 

Jason Roy । Photo:AFP

Both scored half centuries. Hazlewood broke their pair of 122 runs. Then when Adam Zampa got fired up, England was knocked out of the match. England scored 156 runs for 3 wickets and lost 7 wickets for 169 runs. Both Starc and Zampa took four wickets each. Starc became the man of the match.

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