Jos Buttler-led England kicked off their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign with a disappointing five-wicket defeat against Steve Smith’s Australia at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on February 22.
Despite a stellar batting display, headlined by Ben Duckett’s historic knock of 165 runs, England’s bowlers failed to defend their total, allowing Australia to complete the highest successful chase in ICC ODI event history with 15 balls to spare.
England, invited to bat first, posted a commanding total of 350 runs. Duckett etched his name in Champions Trophy history, becoming the first batter to score 150+ runs in a single innings. Joe Root provided solid support with a well-crafted 68.
However, England’s bowling attack couldn’t back up the batting performance. While Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse, Adil Rashid, and Liam Livingstone picked up a wicket each, they struggled to contain Australia’s chase. Josh Inglis stole the show with a match-winning century, guiding Australia to victory.
Speaking after the game, Buttler praised Duckett’s brilliance but lamented that his innings came in a losing cause.
“I think 350 is a good score. Dew was a factor, and conditions made it easier to chase. Credit to them for pulling it off. Duckett played brilliantly—he’s been exceptional across all formats and can be incredibly consistent in ODIs. Just a shame it came in a losing effort.”
Buttler also emphasized the importance of partnerships over individual performances and admitted that breaking the Inglis-Carey stand was crucial to turning the game around. Despite the setback, he remains optimistic about England’s campaign.
“Rather than focusing on individuals, we look at partnerships, like Root and Duckett’s. We needed to break the Inglis-Carey stand. But there’s immense belief in the group, and we remain optimistic.”
England’s bowling struggles have been a recurring issue, as seen in their previous ODI against Australia in September 2024. In that match, England posted 309, with Duckett smashing 107 and Harry Brook adding 72. However, the lower order collapsed, and Australia, led by Travis Head’s 4/28, restricted them below the 350-mark.
Chasing a rain-adjusted target of 117 in 20.4 overs, Australia’s aggressive approach left England’s bowlers helpless. Matthew Short (58 off 30) and Travis Head (31 off 26) took the game away early, before Steve Smith (36) and Josh Inglis (28) sealed the win.
With a shaky start to their Champions Trophy campaign, England will need to regroup quickly and address their bowling concerns to stay in contention for the knockout stages.