WC LIVE: English run chase off to horror start after golden duck ...

England’s run chase has gotten off to a horror start at Narendra Modi Stadium, with opener Jonny Bairstow departing for a golden duck after strangling a loosener from Mitchell Starc down the leg side.

The reigning champions are currently 6-175 in the 37th over, with Chris Woakes (0*) and Moeen Ali (35*) unbeaten in the middle.

MATCH CENTRE: Australia vs England scorecard

England captain Jos Buttler won the toss and elected to bowl first in Ahmedabad, with seamer Chris Woakes removing both of Australia’s openers in the Powerplay. In the second over, Travis Head tried to guide a length delivery through third man, instead edging towards Joe Root at first slip for 11. A few minutes later, Warner top-edged a pull shot against Woakes on 15, with David Willey settling underneath the regulation catch at mid-wicket.

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Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith steadied the ship, combining for a 75-run partnership for the third wicket before leg-spinner Adil Rashid ripped the heart of Australia’s middle order with a couple of crucial breakthroughs. Smith chased a wide delivery from Rashid in the 22nd over, slicing the ball towards Moeen Ali at short third man for 44. Not long after, Australian wicketkeeper Josh Inglis attempted an audacious reverse sweep against Rashid on 3, gifting Ali his second catch of the afternoon.

Despite the double blow, Labuschagne picked up the tempo at the other end, bringing up his tenth ODI half-century in 63 deliveries. The Queenslander shared a 61-run partnership with all-rounder Cameron Green before falling victim to speedster Mark Wood, trapped on the pads for 71, his highest score of the tournament. He wasted a review before trudging off.

Green and Wood were engrossed in an entertaining battle through the middle overs, with the West Australian at one stage throwing his bat 15 meters after botching a pull shot against the Durham quick. He looked destined for a half-century before throwing his wicket away on 47, having attempted a premeditated paddle against Willey that crashed into his leg stump.

Marcus Stoinis, who returned from a calf injury, cleared the boundary rope twice before picking out cow corner for 35, giving part-time spinner Liam Livingstone his first breakthrough of the match. The following over, Australian captain Pat Cummins miscued a slog against Wood, caught a mid-wicket by Dawid Malan for 10.

Australia’s tail was exposed with more than five overs remaining, but leg-spinner Adam Zampa slapped a valuable 29 (19) at the death to steer Cummins’ men towards a respectable total. Woakes cleaned up the tail, taking two wickets in the final over to finish with 4-54, his best bowling performance in World Cups.

Australia's Adam Zampa. Photo by Money SHARMA / AFPSource: AFP

England’s run chase got off to a horror start, with opener Jonny Bairstow departing for a golden duck after strangling a loosener from Mitchell Starc down the leg side. Later in the same over, Australia reviewed an LBW decision against Joe Root, with Hawkeye suggesting the ball would have bounced over leg stump.

A couple of overs later, Stoinis dropped a low chance at cover to gift Root an extra life on 7, leaving the field shortly after for medical attention. Thankfully for the Australians, Stoinis’ blunder didn’t prove too costly — in Starc’s following over, Cummins successfully overturned a caught behind decision against Root, with a small spike appearing on Snicko when the ball passed his bat.

Ben Stokes and Malan combined for a steady 84-run partnership, with the English opener reaching his half-century in 62 deliveries. However, Malan departed for 50 the very next delivery he faced, top-edging a pull shot against Cummins that Head settled underneath at deep fine leg.

England desperately needed a captain’s knock from Buttler, but the wicketkeeper recklessly charged down the pitch at Zampa and holed out to long-on for 1. The Australians could smell blood.

Travis Head of Australia. Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images

Ali and Stokes picked up the tempo after the drinks break, nailing a cluster of boundaries to send scare through the Australian camp. The Durham all-rounder brought up his 23rd ODI fifty with a thumping six off Starc over deep mid-wicket, reaching the minor milestone in 74 balls.

However, Stokes’ counter-attack came to an unexpected end in the 36th over, sweeping a wayward half-tracker from Zampa directly towards Stoinis at short fine-leg. In the following over, Livingstone became Cummins’ second victim of the evening after pulling a short delivery towards mid-wicket, where substitute fielder Sean Abbott latched onto a superb diving catch.

The Australian team wore black armbands in the field to acknowledge the death of Mitchell Marsh’s grandfather, who passed away on Friday.

Australia XI

David Warner, Travis Head, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (wk), Cameron Green, Marcus Stoinis, Mitch Starc, Pat Cummins (c), Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa

England XI

Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (c, wk), Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Adil Rashid

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