Inspired by an electric Glenn Maxwell, Australia won their second consecutive tri-series trophy - and third in a row at home - by crushing England by 112 runs to lift the Carlton Mid Tri-Series. In Sunday's final, it was Maxwell the batsman who carried Australia from 60 for 4 to 201 for 5 with an excellent 98-ball 95 on a tricky WACA surface - his highest ODI score. In the second, it was Maxwell the bowler who collected a career-best 4 for 46 to help bowl England out for 166 in 39.1 overs. To further add to his outstanding impact on a massive win, Maxwell took a sharp catch at backward point to add to England's Mitchell Johnson-triggered wobble of 46 for 4, from which they never recovered.
Chasing 278 was never going to be an easy task for England in the final on a pitch that was a little two-paced and England's best chance lay with the openers giving them a good foundation. They were set back soon into the chase when Josh Hazlewood had the in-form Ian Bell (8) nicking behind in the fourth over. To make matters worse, England came up against a well-rested Mitchell Johnson who was raring to go. England's Ashes nemesis did not waste much time into triggering the ghosts of the past. Off just his eighth ball, he had James Taylor (4) playing away from his body and spooning a catch to Maxwell backward point. That was just the start.
Johnson hammered England into the ground with two more wickets in his next over. Moeen Ali (26) was just getting into his groove when a brute of a bouncer took his glove and lobbed to slip. Eoin Morgan, the skipper, came in next and promptly shouldered arms to a ball hitting off stump. It was his second golden duck in succession against Australia. Ravi Bopara survived the hat-trick ball but England were always playing catch-up after being reduced to 46 for 4 in the 11th over.
Joe Root and Bopara put on a steady stand before Faulkner came into the attack and struck with his first ball to get rid of Root (25). Faulkner bowled only nine balls after his first over before walking back to the dressing room with back spasms. It allowed little respite for England though.
Maxwell struck twice in two balls to get rid of Jos Buttler (17) and Chris Woakes (0) in the 25th over, leaving England to chase 181 with just three wickets in hand. Stuart Broad (24) lived adventurously but perished to a big shot against Maxwell while Bopara (33) became his fourth victim in the 39th over.
England's plight was very similar to the one Australia found themselves in after they were put in to bat by Morgan after James Anderson, Broad and Ali combined to reduce them to 60 for 4 in the 18th over. Thereafter, Australia were put back on track thanks to a 141-run stand between Maxwell and Mitchell Marsh (60), who batted with caution before the former exploded in the Powerplay overs, hitting 31 of the 46 runs Australia took off that block. Maxwell regularly played the reverse-sweep and reverse-paddle, and in fact scored 33 runs off 14 balls in the arc between backward point and the wicketkeeper.
Maxwell fell in the nineties yet again as he tried to pull Broad (3/55) but ended up getting a top edge, a dismissal which was followed by those of Marsh and Brad Haddin. A collapse of three wickets for 24 runs was countered excellently by Faulkner, whose 24-ball fifty powered Australia to 278 for 8. He was particularly severe against Woakes who went for 18 runs in his ninth over and 24 in his 10th to finish with 10-0-89-0 - the fourth most expensive spell by an England bowler in ODIs. Faulkner got to his fifty with a six off the last ball of the innings, his 24-ball innings proving the difference between a middling total and a challenging one. In the end, even 200 would have been enough against a feeble England batting order.
India stay winless
The only consolation India had in their final tri-series league match was that they fought hard till the end. But there is no reward for that. They needed to beat the English team which they could not, thus ending their campaign winless. India were left ruing missed opportunities. First, when their openers, for once, had given them a good start, the rest of the batting failed to capitalize on it. And second, when they had half the England line-up, chasing 201 on a difficult WACA pitch, back in the pavilion. But a missed run out by Ajinkya Rahane and a dropped catch by Suresh Raina, helped England to wriggle out of a tight situation.
After being five down for 66, man-of-the-match James Taylor and Jos Buttler with an excellent century partnership ensured England did not miss out on the opportunity to take on their arch rivals one more time. India, on the other hand, were left to ponder what could have been. Of course, the team think-tank will count on some positives, like the opening partnership of 83 between Rahane and Shikhar Dhawan, who finally had a few runs under his belt, and the effort of Stuart Binny, who picked up three wickets to give India an outside chance. But the biggest problem India face is the lack of confidence and momentum going into the World Cup.
