CT 2025: Inglis rips apart English bowling attack, Australia kickstart campaign with record-breaking chase

Lahore [Pakistan], February 22 (ANI): Australia kickstarted their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign in the most record-breaking way possible, with a century from Josh Inglis and a half-century and his partnerships with Alex Carey and Glenn Maxwell powering them to a successful chase of 352 runs with five wickets to spare against England at Lahore on Sunday.
This is the highest-ever run-chase in any ICC ODI event, outdoing Pakistan's 345 against Sri Lanka at the 2023 Men's Cricket World Cup, and the highest-ever total in ICC Champions Trophy history, outdoing England by a run in this aspect. This is also the second-highest ODI run chase by Australia and highest ODI run chase against England. On the Pakistan soil, this is the highest ODI run-chase ever.
Inglis was the star of the chase, scoring 120* in just 86 balls, with eight fours and six sixes, scoring at a strike rate of 139.53. His 77-ball ton is tied with Virender Sehwag's ton against England in 2002 as the fastest ton in the tournament history.
Having been set a mammoth target of 352, Australia had lost star batters Travis Head (6) and Steve Smith (5) early in the powerplay. While Matthew Short (63 in 66 balls, with nine fours and a six) and Marnus Labushchagne (47 in 45 balls, with five fours) would bring Australia back into the game, adding 95 runs for the third wicket, Adil Rashid and Liam Livingstone removed the pair to reduce Australia to 136/4, as per ICC.
Inglis would then combine alongside Alex Carey (69 in 63 balls, with eight fours) to forge a 146-run partnership for the fifth wicket before Brydon Carse broke their stand.
But even with Carey out of the equation, Inglis continued to keep the scoreboard moving and saw through the chase alongside Glenn Maxwell, who came in handy with a quickfire cameo of 32 off 15 deliveries, with four boundaries and two sixes. Inglis went on to close the game with a maximum, with 15 balls left.
Mark Wood, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid and Liam Livingstone took a wicket each for England.
For England, Ben Duckett racked up his third ODI ton - highest-ever total in ICC Champions Trophy history - to put England on the offensive after early loss of wickets.
The southpaw forged an attacking hundred, 165 in 143 balls, comprising of 11 fours alongside one maximum to put England in the ascendancy with the highest-ever total in Champions Trophy history - 351/8.
Left-arm pacer Ben Dwarshius had struck twice in his opening burst in the batting powerplay after Australia put England in to bat first. Alex Carey would latch onto a sensational catch at mid-on to remove Phil Salt off Dwarshius in the second over of the innings to break the deadlock.
The keeper-batter, who isn't donning the gloves for Australia with Josh Inglish behind the stumps, was also in the thick of things as he grabbed Jamie Smith's catch to make it a brace for Dwarshius and Australia in the powerplay.
Former England skipper Joe Root then, compiled a resolute 158-run stand for the second wicket. Root stitched a patient knock of 68 from 78 deliveries (with four boundaries) and was looking on course to a first ODI hundred in almost six years when Adam Zampa struck.
The leg-spinner would trap Root leg before wicket to break the partnership and offer Australia a way back into the game.
Zampa delivered with the ball again shortly, this time to remove Harry Brook (3) from the equation as Alex Carey snuck another stunning in-field catch.
England skipper Jos Buttler (23 in 21 balls, with a four and six) also did not last long as Glenn Maxwell lured him with a fuller delivery that was latched onto in the deep by Nathan Ellis, reducing England to five down.
Duckett meanwhile, kept tickng the scoreboard from the other end, scoring the first-ever 150 plus individual score in Champions Trophy history. The southpaw was eventually dismissed by Marnus Labuschagne at the score of 165.
England were given added push by Jofra Archer towards the end, who nailed a quickfire cameo of 21 off 10 deliveries to close the innings on a high note.
Ben Dwarshuis (3/66) was the pick of the bowlers for Australia, while Adam Zampa (2/64) and Matthew Short (2/41) took two wickets as well. (ANI)