Australian cricket team registered a comfortable victory over Sri Lanka in ODI WC 2023. The Aussies now have won 9 matches out of 9 against the island nation in the history of ODI WCs. Aakash Chopra though strongly believes that Australia wasn’t quite up to their mark against Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka would be dejected after losing their 3rd match on the trot in the ODI WC 2023 and now soon, the side will have to start winning if they want to make it to the Semi Final of ODI WC 2023. The absence of Dasun Shanaka hurt the team as he could have provided stability to the team in the middle overs phase.
It didn’t seem like Australia have come- Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra was seen speaking on his YouTube channel. Aakash Chopra pointed out that Australian players were too desperate for a wicket in the very first over itself when they took a DRS and Mitchell Starc tried to run out the batter at the non-striker end.
“It doesn’t seem like Australia have come. On a sad and disappointing note, even after they won, it felt like whether they were Australia, do they play like this, have they become such an ordinary team because when Sri Lanka came to bat, it didn’t seem like a wicket would fall,” said Aakash Chopra.
“They took a DRS on the first ball itself. You took a DRS for lbw but it seemed like it was ‘bat before the wicket’ because the ball hit straight on the bat. A little desperation was seen and in the same over he gave a warning for a run-out at the non-striker’s end. He could have might as well done it,” he stated.
Pat Cummins’ two wickets started the collapse- Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra stated that Adam Zampa took 4 wickets but said that the shrewd leg spinner is probably going through his worst form of career. Aakash Chopra said that if the island nation would have scored 280-290 runs then the outcome of the match could have been different in the end.
“It was such a big opening partnership. It’s not that fast bowlers got them out, Adam Zampa picked up four wickets. Not taking anything away from Adam Zampa but he is probably going through the worst form of his career. If 280-290 runs had been scored, Australia’s bags would have been packed,” said Aakash Chopra.
“This also must be noted that Pat Cummins gave them that start because there were discussions that Pat Cummins was not pulling his weight into the side. His two wickets started the collapse. He dismissed both the openers. After that, Adam Zampa, and then Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell ate the cream in the end,” he added.