Finch fires in T20 loss
AUSTRALIA coach Justin Langer said he hoped his side would return a better team come next year’s World Cup after going through the “jungle” in their tour of England.
Having been whitewashed 5-0 by England in a one-day international series, Australia’s tour ended with a 28-run loss to Eoin Morgan’s men in a Twenty20 international at Edgbaston yesterday.
Once again Jos Buttler put Australia’s bowlers to the sword, a 22ball 50 following his match-winning century in a dramatic one-wicket win in the fifth ODI at Old Trafford.
And, not for the first time this trip, spin proved Australia’s achilles heel with England leg-break bowler Adil Rashid taking 3-27 as the tourists, chasing 222, were dismissed for 193.
Aaron Finch was the pick of the Australian batsmen with 84 from 41 balls with seven fours and six sixes, bringing up his 50 in 27 balls.
Australia, the 50-over World Cup champion, arrived in England — the 2019 tournament host — without a raft of first-choice players.
Former captain Steve Smith and deputy David Warne were missing after being handed one-year bans for their roles in March’s ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town — an incident that prompted Darren Lehmann’s resignation as coach and his replacement by Langer.
Meanwhile Australia was also without injured Ashes-winning fast bowlers Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood as well as sidelined allrounder Mitchell Marsh.
“There’s light at the end of the tunnel, there’s no doubt about that,” Langer said after the match.
“We knew it was going to be a big job, knowing where we came from in South Africa.
“On the surface it looks like a complete disaster, but we have talked about a team for the World Cup and the Ashes and I think we have unlocked a few answers, but it hurts when you get beaten — particularly in England.”
During the one-dayers, Australia’s bowlers were flayed by England for an all-time men’s ODI record total of 6-481 at Trent Bridge.
Langer likened that experience to his own Test debut against a formidable West Indies pace attack at Adelaide in 1993, where his first ball saw him hit on the helmet by Ian Bishop.
But the West Australian lefthander went on to enjoy a distinguished 105-Test career that featured 23 hundreds.