Australian speedster Mitchell Starc took a chance to mock their rivals, England, after their 33-run victory in an ICC Cricket World Cup match held in Ahmedabad. The rivalry between England and Australia has a long history dating back to the Ashes, a fiercely contested Test series between the two sides.
The win not only secured Australia a spot in the World Cup 2023 semifinals but also ended England’s title defense. Australia posted a score of 286 at the Narendra Modi stadium, while England fell short 33 runs in their chase, with Mitchell Starc taking two wickets and Adam Zampa taking three.
Starc didn’t miss the opportunity to subtly taunt England after the game, referring to the recent Ashes series between the two teams earlier this year. England has been struggling in the ongoing Cricket World Cup, suffering six losses in seven matches. With two games remaining in the group stage, their title defense is officially over.
Speaking after the match, Starc revealed that Australia expected England to put up a fight considering their imminent elimination from the tournament and the risk of not finishing in the top 8 of the competition, which could lead to them losing out on qualification for the Champions Trophy 2025.
“We expected England to come out a bit more aggressive, but they can take the moral victory from this,” Starc stated.
Starc’s reference to a “moral victory” during his remarks about England stems from the controversies that arose during the recent Ashes series. The runout of Jonny Bairstow at Lord’s during the second Test added fuel to the already heated rivalry between the two sides.
Despite being the favorites, England faced an initial setback as Australia won the first two Tests, going 2-0 up. England managed to win the third Test, making it 2-1. However, the fourth Test in Manchester was washed out, spoiling England’s chances of a victory. They did manage to win the final Test, resulting in a series draw.
English fans and pundits claimed that their team was the moral winner due to the washout in Manchester, which could have resulted in an English victory, and criticized Australia’s runout of Bairstow as unsporting. Starc, however, didn’t let this slide after Australia’s knockout blow to England in the Cricket World Cup.
As the match concluded, Starc’s comments added to the excitement surrounding the Cricket World Cup. Fans can now make predictions and potentially win on the Cricket World Cup 2023. For the latest odds, betting, cricket scores, and fixtures from India, visit the provided link.
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