Inglis powers Australia to record chase against England

English , Snippets , Sports - کھیل اور کھلاڑی , / Saturday, February 22nd, 2025

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Josh Inglis delivered a career-defining performance as Australia chased down a record target to defeat England by five wickets in a high-octane Champions Trophy clash at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday.

Inglis, who was born in England, smashed a sensational unbeaten 120 off 86 balls, guiding Australia to 352-5 in 47.3 overs—the highest successful chase in the tournament’s history. His innings overshadowed Ben Duckett’s heroic 165, the highest individual score ever recorded in the Champions Trophy.

England’s Record-Breaking Innings Falls Short
Sent in to bat, England set an imposing total of 351-8 on a batting-friendly pitch. Duckett led the charge with a blistering 165 from 143 balls, including 17 boundaries and three sixes. His effort broke the previous record of 145 runs held by New Zealand’s Nathan Astle and Zimbabwe’s Andy Flower.

Duckett’s third-wicket stand with Joe Root yielded 158 runs, with Root contributing a composed 68 off 78 deliveries. Despite quick dismissals of Phil Salt (10) and Jamie Smith (15), England’s aggressive batting approach kept the pressure on Australia’s weakened bowling attack, which was missing Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood.

Late cameos from Jos Buttler (23) and Jofra Archer (21* off 10 balls) helped England surpass New Zealand’s previous tournament-high total of 347-4 set in 2004. Ben Dwarshuis emerged as Australia’s best bowler, claiming 3-66, while Adam Zampa and Marnus Labuschagne chipped in with two wickets each.

Australia’s Record Chase Led by Inglis Heroics
Australia’s reply began shakily at 27-2, with Travis Head (6) and skipper Steve Smith (5) falling early to Jofra Archer and Mark Wood. However, Matthew Short (63 off 66 balls) and Marnus Labuschagne (47 off 45) steadied the innings, adding 95 for the third wicket.

The turning point came with a vital 146-run fifth-wicket partnership between Inglis and Alex Carey. Carey, dropped on 49 by Archer, scored a gritty 69 from 63 balls before being dismissed by Brydon Carse. With 70 runs still needed, Inglis and Glenn Maxwell (32* off 15) unleashed an aggressive assault on England’s pace attack, taking 226 runs collectively off Wood, Archer, and Carse.

Inglis reached his maiden ODI century with three towering sixes—two off Carse and another against Archer—bringing up the landmark in just 77 deliveries. A powerful six off Wood sealed the record-breaking win for Australia, thrilling the near-capacity crowd of 31,000.

What’s Next
This victory gives Australia a flying start in Group B, while England will need to regroup quickly to stay in contention. For now, Inglis’s masterclass remains the highlight of the tournament, as Australia reaffirmed their status as strong title contenders.