England’s lefty-batter Ben Duckett was on song with his amazing play of 165. However, it went invain as it could not help England win their thrilling game against Australia in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Even with Duckett’s top score, Australia easily chased down the big score of 352, thanks to a great 120 from Josh Inglis, who used the weak England bowlers to his advantage. Consequently, this chase became the highest successful chase in men’s ICC tournament history.
The inaugural match of the ongoing Champions Trophy in Lahore was notably the first ICC event game in the city since March 1996. The England vs Australia affair was indeed a high-scoring one with batting completely dominating the surface. The pitch was flat, and the night dew made it tougher for the bowlers, with little room for mistakes, especially in the second innings. England’s bowlers had a hard time holding back Australia’s strong batters, who played aggressive cricket.
Josh Inglis Overshadows Ben Duckett’s Century, Helping Australia Chase the Highest Champions Trophy Target
Josh Inglis, in his first ICC event match, hit back hard. He scored his first ODI hundred, with 120 not out from 86 balls, leading Australia to win in the 48th over. 29-year-old Josh and Alex Carey, who made a solid 50, were key in this historical win. This win was one of Australia’s biggest chases in ODI games, second only to their chase against India in 2019.
Australia’s successful chase was built on a strong middle-order partnership, despite the early loss of wickets. England had made the early breakthroughs as Jofra Archer took the crucial catch to dismiss Travis Head for just 6, while Mark Wood’s pace forced Steven Smith to edge to slip. However, Matthew Short and Marnus Labuschagne fought back with a 95-run stand, taking advantage of some ineffective bowling by Brydon Carse. Short, in particular, found form after a lean spell and capitalized on the pace of England’s quicks. While Labuschagne’s slow-paced innings of 70 was stopped by a brilliant delivery from Adil Rashid, who had earlier bowled a tight spell in combination with Liam Livingstone.
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Inglis-Carey Save the Sinking Australian Ship
Australia’s progress was briefly halted at 136 for 4 after the dismissals of Labuschagne and Short, but Inglis and Carey steadied the ship. Rashid was taken off after his six-over spell, and the pair soon took charge. The Australian debutant struck consecutive boundaries off Archer and reached his century with a superb six. Carey’s half-century, though marked with a moment of controversy when Archer dropped a sitter off his bowling, also helped Australia’s win, and they continued to accelerate towards the target.
Even though Carey was dismissed with 70 runs still needed, Inglis remained calm, dispatching a six off Archer to seal his century. Glenn Maxwell played his role in the lower order before Inglis fittingly struck the final six to guide Australia to victory. The win was all the more impressive given that Australia’s bowling attack was missing some of their key quicks, including Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc. Even without their main fast bowlers and World Cup-winning captain, Australia’s strong batting and aggressive approach were enough to defeat England.
For England, it was a very tough loss, especially after Duckett’s amazing performance. England scored their highest total ever in the Champions Trophy, with Duckett’s 165 off 143 balls being the highest score anyone has ever made in the tournament. Joe Root helped a lot with his 68 runs in a partnership of 158 runs for the third wicket. But after Ben Duckett got out, no other batsman could keep up the momentum. The lower order didn’t add much, which stopped England from reaching an even bigger total.
A Little Much-Deserved Appreciation of Ben Duckett Record-Breaking Hundred
England’s innings had begun with a few hiccups, as their reshuffled batting lineup struggled early. Phil Salt was dismissed cheaply, caught spectacularly by Carey in the second over, and Jamie Smith, batting at No. 3 for the first time in international cricket, was dismissed shortly after. Root and Duckett played back with smart moves, using the shaky bowling from Spencer Johnson and Ben Dwarshuis to their advantage. The 30-year-old Duckett began slow but picked up speed, aiming for the edges with strong hits, including a great side swing on Johnson.
After Root got out at 68, England seemed in a tough spot, but Ben Duckett kept up his strong play. He got his third ODI hundred by hitting hard against Johnson, marked by a fist pump, but he stayed sharp. Even tired, Duckett kept his eye on the goal, hitting the ball hard. However, his innings came to an end in the 48th over when he was trapped lbw by Australia part-time bowler Marnus Labuschagne.
England Lower Order Tries to Save the Day but Fails
The England lower order, including Livingstone and Archer, could not provide the necessary firepower to push the score further. Archer did try to hit a flurry of boundaries towards the death overs, but it was too little, too late. Labuschagne, who had been used as a part-time legspinner, finished with two wickets and helped restrict England to a total of 351 for 7.
Australia’s chase was not without its own setbacks, but the composed and aggressive approach from Josh Inglis and Alex Carey in the middle overs made all the difference. England’s bowlers showed skill at moments, but couldn’t handle the attack from Inglis, who showed the calmness and clarity needed for a successful chase. This win was a strong statement from Australia, who people didn’t expect much from before the tournament, and it kept their hopes alive to win the Champions Trophy.