Lahore, Feb 23: Wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis overshadowed a superb Ben Duckett hundred by hitting a sublime maiden ODI century and helped Australia pull off an epic chase of 352 in 47.3 overs to beat England by five wickets in a run-fest Group B match of the 2025 Champions Trophy at the Gaddafi Stadium here on Saturday.

The chase of 352 looked uphill after England reached 351/8 in their 50 overs, thanks to Duckett’s magnificent 165, which is now the highest individual score in the history of the Champions Trophy. But Australia had the quiet confidence of chasing down the total, owing to the stadium’s nature of batting becoming better under lights, thanks to dew.

Inglis, born in Yorkshire and brought up in Australia, proved that theory right through his unbeaten 120 off 86 balls, laced with eight fours and six sixes, impressing everyone with his lofted shots and backfoot play as Australia now hold the record for the highest successful chase in the history of ICC Men's ODI tournaments, as well as in a men’s ODI games in Lahore.

Inglis was also helped by key contributions from Matthew Short (63), Alex Carey (69), and Glenn Maxwell (32 not out), as Australia reached home with 15 balls to spare and five wickets in hand, proving yet again why they can never ever be taken lightly in ICC tournaments.

England’s pace duo of Jofra Archer and Mark Wood struck with the new ball to dismiss Travis Head and Steve Smith cheaply in the power-play. From there, Short and Marnus Labuschagne tried resurrecting Australia’s innings by adding 95 runs for the third wicket before Adil Rashid removed Labuschagne by having him slap straight to cover.

Short went on to score 63 off 66 deliveries - hitting nine fours and a six - before Liam Livingstone took him out with a superb caught-and-bowled dismissal to reduce Australia to 136/4 in 22.2 overs. Inglis and Carey joined forces to stitch a 146-run partnership for the fifth wicket, with the latter being dropped on 49 by Archer at deep mid-wicket off Rashid’s bowling.

But Carse broke their stand by having Carey mistime a flat-batted shot straight to England skipper Jos Buttler at mid-off. Maxwell entered the picture by hitting Wood for back-to-back fours before Inglis hit back-to-back sixes off Carse in the 44th over and then heaved an off-colour Archer for another maximum to reach his maiden ODI hundred.

Maxwell and Inglis continued to thunder boundaries, with the former surviving a caught chance as replays showed Archer’s full toss was above waist height and deemed a no-ball. Inglis finished off the chase with a six over deep mid-wicket from Wood and clinched a remarkable win for Australia.

Previously, Duckett hit shots all over the park to hit a career-best 165 off 142 deliveries and set a new record for the best individual score previously held by former New Zealand great Nathan Astle. Duckett’s knock, laced with a whopping 17 boundaries and three maximums, is also the first instance of a batter scoring 150 in the tournament’s history.

By the time he was dismissed by Marnus Labuschagne in the 48th over, Duckett had done his job of holding England’s innings together. He got good support from Joe Root, who hit 68, and added 158 off 155 balls with him for the third wicket to ensure England had a huge total on board.

For Australia, pacer Ben Dwarshuis was the standout bowler in their inexperienced fast-bowling line-up with 3-66, while Adam Zampa and Labuschagne took two wickets each and Maxwell had one scalp to his name. Left-arm pacer Dwarshuis struck twice in the first ten overs to take out Phil Salt and Jamie Smith, with Carey taking two sensational grabs as a fielder.

With Duckett going great guns, Root hit a patient 68 off 78 deliveries and was looking on course to get his first ODI hundred in almost six years till he was trapped lbw by Zampa, who would later remove Harry Brook quickly as Carey took another stunning catch.

England skipper Jos Buttler also didn't last long as Maxwell had him holing out for 23, but a ruthless Duckett continued to keep the scoreboard ticking at the other end to go past 150. Archer’s late cameo of 21 not out off 10 balls was also handy in England making their highest-ever total in the Champions Trophy, but it wasn’t enough to save themselves from a crushing defeat.

Brief scores: England 351/8 in 50 overs (Ben Duckett 165, Joe Root 68; Ben Dwarshuis 3-66, Marnus Labuschagne 2-41) lost to Australia 356/5 in 47.3 overs (Josh Inglis 120 not out, Alex Carey 69; Adil Rashid 1-47, Liam Livingstone 1-47) by five wickets.

(IANS)

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