Langer craves for comeback

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 preceding one-day international series, Australia’s limitedovers tour ended with a 28-run defeat by Eoin Morgan’s men in a one-off Twenty20 international at Edgbaston on Wednesday.

Once again Jos Buttler put Australia’s bowlers to the sword – a 22ball fifty – 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 to win, were dismissed for 193.

Australia,

World Cup the reigning 50-over champions, arrived in England – the 2019 tournament hosts – without a raft of first-choice players.

Former captain Steve Smith and his deputy, David Warner, were both missing after being handed one-year bans for their roles in March’s balltampering scandal in Cape Town – an incident that prompted Darren Lehmann’s resignation as coach and his replacement by fellow former Australia batsman Langer.

Meanwhile, Australia were also without injured Ashes-winning fast bowlers Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummmins and Josh Hazlewood as well as sidelined all-rounder Mitchell Marsh. “There’s light at the end of the tunnel, there’s no doubt about that,” said Langer.

“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.” — AFP