A change in formats has turned the tables for Australia as they beat white-ball World Champions England by 6 wickets in the recently concluded first ODI at the Adelaide Oval. Coming on the back of a substandard ICC T20 World Cup 2022 campaign at home, Australia have commenced Pat Cummins’s ODI captaincy career with a comprehensive victory.
Advertisement
Needing to chase down a 288-run target, the home team thrived on the back of individual half-centuries by top-order batters namely David Warner (86), Travis Head (69) and Steven Smith (80*). Having done a large bulk of the run-scoring, the trio hit a combined total of 29 fours and three sixes between them as Australia registered their highest (fourth-highest overall) successful run-chase in an Adelaide ODI.
The match will also be remembered not only for England batter Dawid Malan’s second ODI century but him managing to bag a Player of the Match record in spite of his team ending on the losing side. Pretty much of a one-man show in the first innings, Malan scored a career-best 134 (128) at a strike rate of 104.68 comprising of 12 fours and four sixes.
Jos Buttler sledges Cameron Green with IPL 2023 reference
Not able to pick a wicket in the seven overs that he bowled after being first introduced into the attack as a first-change bowler by Cummins in the absence of pacer Josh Hazlewood, Australia all-rounder Cameron Green (20*) managed to leave some mark in an unbeaten 47-run fifth-wicket partnership alongside Smith.
Coming in to bat on the brink of the third powerplay, Green hit three fours at a strike rate of 71.42 to comfortably play second-fiddle to Smith. Green, however, became an instant centre of attraction when England captain Jos Buttler sledged him with an IPL 2023 auction reference.
“Big auction coming up,” Buttler was heard from the stump mic in his attempt to poke fun at Green when he was about to face a Liam Dawson delivery. With Green not paying much heed to Buttler’s comment, the conversation didn’t get converted into a quintessential two-way sledging incident.
ALSO READ: Are Cameron Green and Chris Green brothers?
However, Buttler reminding Green of a potential opulent auction speaks highly about both Green’s reputation and the craze of an IPL auction. With Green playing a couple of swashbuckling innings during the tour of India a couple of months ago, he is expected to be among the most expensive players of IPL 2023 mini-auction scheduled to take place in Kochi on December 23.
Much like Buttler, if former Australia batter Matthew Hayden is also to be believed, Green will earn a huge sum in the IPL auction for his all-round skills. It is noteworthy that Green, 23, has already received support from Cummins for pursuing a career in the IPL.
