Birmingham: Australia’s stand-in skipper George Bailey blamed the lack of good start for losing their opening clash against England in the Champions Trophy at Edgbaston on Saturday.
Bailey, who top-scored for the defending champions with 55, candidly admitted that his team’s batting lacked momentum during the 48-run loss to the hosts. “I think 270 was certainly gettable. I was pretty happy at the halfway mark, particularly at 170 for one with 15 overs to go we restricted them to 270. It was a good cricket wicket. They won because they bowled very well. They made it hard for us to get any momentum with the bat.”
Bailey believes that building partnerships are vital in winning any match. “The challenge in one-day cricket is the way to find a way to score, to get some momentum going while at the same time trying to build a partnership, and that was the one thing lacking,” he added.
The stand-in captain for the injured Michael Clarke believes that losing by only 48 runs in the end is a positive factor. “It was flattering in the end to only lose by around 50 runs away. It was probably more like 60 or 70-run loss. We missed one good partnership at the top order. One guy in your top five getting 100 and that probably will make the difference.”
Despite the pressure now, Bailey does not want his batsmen to change their style. “In international cricket, that’s just how you’ve got to respond. It’s a bear game. I want to see David Warner going after balls. I want to see him crashing the ball everywhere. I want to see ‘Watto’ [Shane Watson] doing the same thing. And that is the way we’ve got to keep playing. That’s why we’ve picked the guys, and that is the challenge, while all that other stuff is going on around you, to make sure that you stick to your own gameplan and to find a way to make it work,” he said.
How much of a blow is Clarke’s absence and when can he be expected to play? “He’s planning for the New Zealand game. Chatting to him yesterday he felt like the progress had been pretty slow. I know he’s desperate to get back. I know the talk is to save yourself for the Ashes and what not, but every time I checked with him, he’s desperate to get here and to get some training under his belt first and then be out there. But it really is a day by day scenario.”
Meanwhile, Australia had salt rubbed into the wound when they were fined for a slow over-rate.
Match Referee Javagal Srinath, the former India bowler, imposed the fines after title-holders Australia were found to be one over short of their target when time allowances were taken into consideration.
In accordance with the International Cricket Council’s code of conduct, Australia’s players were fined 10 per cent of their match fee with George Bailey, captain in the absence of the injured Michael Clarke, fined 20 per cent in his role as skipper. The penalty went unchallenged by Australia, so there was no need for a disciplinary hearing.
- With inputs from AFP
