Lahore, Pakistan, February 23 (ANI): Following his side's win over England in their ICC Champions Trophy campaign opener, Australian wicketkeeper-batsman Josh Inglis said he was "over the moon" after his match-winning century and it had "pumped" him on a personal level.
Inglis made history by registering his name in the record books, scoring the joint-fastest century in ICC Champions Trophy history, leading a masterclass finish alongside Glenn Maxwell as Australia defeated their arch-rivals in Lahore with a five-wicket margin.
Speaking after the match, Inglis said, "We're incredibly thrilled, it was a fantastic win. We knew it would be a challenging game against England, as it always is. Scoring 350 requires a lot of things to go right. I'm extremely proud on a personal level. For the team, it was a great performance. There wasn't much conversation during the halftime break after England's batting. We had done a lot of talking beforehand. We knew the second half would be tough due to the dew, which made the outfield wet. It was always in our favor to bat second.
Discussing the partnership with Carey, he stated, "He (Carey) is not typically one to verbalize much during his batting, only occasionally uttering a few words. I was attempting to avoid frequently glancing at the scoreboard. We were batting well, so we simply need to continue to make steady progress."
Further adding on the outcome of the match, Inglis said, "We knew with Maxi still in the sheds, there would always be a chance. I still believe that their part-time options - Liam Livingstone and Joe Root - are very useful, having bowled a lot in international cricket, you can't help but respect their bowling abilities. I tried to be proactive."
Australia chose to start the bowling and seemed poised for a strong start when England was reduced to 43/2, but a decision to promote young wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith to the number-three position did not yield the expected results. Nevertheless, Ben Duckett and Joe Root (scoring 68 in 78 balls, including four boundaries) staged a solid counter-attack, helping England reach 200 runs with a 158-run partnership. As wickets fell at the other end, Duckett continued to dominate, eventually reaching 165 in 143 balls, with 17 fours and three sixes. England finished their 50 overs at 351/8.
Australia's top bowlers were Ben Dwarshuis, who took three wickets, and Adam Zampa and Matthew Short, who each took two wickets.
In the pursuit of 352, Australia lost Travis Head and Steve Smith for single-digit scores, losing their two most dependable batsmen at 27/2. A 95-run partnership between Labuschagne (47 in 45 balls, with five fours) and Matt Short (63 in 66 balls, nine fours and six) propelled Australia past the 100-run mark, but the Aussies suffered a setback again to 136/4 thanks to some outstanding spin bowling by Adil Rashid.
The game was far from over, with three crucial middle-order batsmen still to come. Abandoning hope wasn't an option. 'Aussie mentality' kicked in with each boundary hit and each six that soared through the air. A determined Alex Carey's 69 off 63 balls, with eight fours, was instrumental in forging a 146-run partnership that brought Australia back into contention.
Carey was dismissed by Brydon Carse, but Inglis (120 not out in 86 balls, with eight fours and six sixes) and Maxwell (32 not out in 15 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) finished off the game with some T20-style shots, showing their typical boldness, disregarding the situation and the limited batting strength left below them, with 15 balls left and five wickets remaining. (ANI)