Australian skipper Pat Cummins, after beating New Zealand in a nail-biting clash, feels it was a fantastic game in cricket, and the opposition fought very hard and almost pulled off the game. Pat Cummins kept his head cool as in the last over the speedster Mitchell Starc almost conceded 19 runs but Cummins’ field placements were top-notch.
Australia clinches their fourth victory in a row in the ICC World Cup 2023; this time they defeated the Black Caps with just five runs. At one stage, it was an easy game for the Aussies, but great performances from Kiwi players made it difficult for the men in yellow.
On the batting deck of Dharamsala Tom Latham, the Kiwi skipper, invited the Aussies to showcase their batting. The Australian openers never disappoint, and they trash the opposition bowling lineup. The left-handers did not provide any window for adjusting lines and lengths.
David Warner missed his third consecutive ton in the ICC World Cup 2023; on the other hand, comeback boy Travis Head bagged a stunning century at a strike rate of 162.69. The Kiwi bowlers looked clueless.
Mitchell Marsh looked scratchy in the middle order, and Steven Smith also caught a mid-off. Quickfire batting from skipper Pat Cummins helped Australia achieve 388 on the board. Glenn Maxwell and Josh Inglis showed their hitting range as well.
While chasing Devon Conway and Will Young, they started off nicely with cracking shorts, but Devon Conway could not promise with the bat. Young batter Rachin Ravindra once again showed his class and temperament.
Devon Conway constantly kept the Kiwi team in the game; on the other hand, wickets were falling regularly, but he never stopped hitting the ball and bagged his second ton of the ICC World Cup 2023, becoming the second youngest player to achieve the feat.
At the end, the Aussies held their nerves and secured a last-ball victory in a nail-biting match.
In the post-match presentation, Skipper Pat Cummins expressed his excitement about the fantastic game:
“It was awesome. They just kept coming at us, and it was a fantastic game of cricket. Travis has been away for 5 weeks. They first hit back in the game, and with the kind of intent they (the openers) showed, they led from the front. It was a good wicket, and at times we probably gave too much width and some really good partnerships there. Fielding made a big difference.”