Michael Clarke returned to action at the World Cup but has a lot of worries ahead of the next game.
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A one-wicket loss against New Zealand may not say a lot about Australia’s batting in Auckland on Saturday. That the four-time champions crashed from 80/1 to 151 in about 20 overs does. In an implosion of epic proportions, Australia crashed to their lowest World Cup total against the Kiwis – only just eclipsing their previous lowest of (129 vs India) in the tournament’s history. (Complete World Cup 2015 coverage | Fixtures | Points Table | Stats | History)
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Rated as one of the favourites to win the tournament – the four-time World Champions hardly looked that after winning the toss. In a line-up that boasts of big power-hitters, the Aussies failed and faltered after losing No. 3 batsman Shane Watson (23) cheaply. (Australia must play swing better, admits Clarke)
Trent Boult (five for 27) bowled exceedingly well but what helped was that the Australians bent and then rolled right over. The likes of Michael Clarke (12), Steve Smith (4), Glenn Maxwell (1) and Mitchell Marsh (0) walking back in quick succession made for an unforgettable image at Eden Park. What would also be unforgettable is that the eventual Aussie total was their lowest while batting first in World Cups. (McCullum in awe of Boult and Starc)
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What was also shocking is that Australians could only withstand the heat for 32.2 overs. Only once in World Cups, they faced less than these overs in a completed innings total - 30.3 while getting dismissed for 151 vs West Indies at Leeds on June 11, 1983. (Boult proud of his five-for vs Australia)
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Fans though can perhaps, take a sympathetic view. The wicket Eden Park has the reputation of not being too kind on batsmen. In fact, of the last ten games here, the teams batting first have failed to score in excess of 190 four times.
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More statistics:
# Seven times in the last eight day/night games at Eden Park, Auckland, the team batting second has won the game. The remaining game produced a 'tie.'
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# Australia have lost eight wickets for 26 runs (80/1 to 106/9) - their worst eight-wicket collapse in ODIs, surpassing two instances of 8 for 27 against Pakistan at Dubai on April 22, 2009 and against Sri Lanka at Brisbane on January 18, 2013.
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# Australia lost the game with 161 balls remaining - their second biggest in terms of balls remaining in ODIs, next only to the four-wicket defeat to Sri Lanka with 180 balls to spare at Brisbane on January 18,2013.
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# New Zealand have won all four World Cup games in the present competition - the first team to do so - their wins being by 98 runs vs Sri Lanka at Christchurch on February 14; by 3 wickets vs Scotland at Dunedin on February 17 and by 8 wickets vs England at Wellington on February 20 and by one wicket vs Australia at Auckland on February 28.
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# New Zealand have won three and lost six out of 9 World Cup games played against Australia - winning % 33.33.
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# New Zealand's tally of 44 wins is exceeded only by Australia's 56 in World Cups.
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# Trent Boult is the fourth New Zealand bowler to produce an instance of five wickets or more in an innings in World Cups, joining Tim Southee - 7 for 33 vs England at Wellington on February 20, 2015; Shane Bond - 6 for 23 vs Australia at Port Elizabeth on March 11, 2003 and Richard Hadlee - 5 for 25 vs Sri Lanka at Bristol on June 13, 1983.
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# For the first time in a World Cup edition, two New Zealand bowlers have captured five wickets or more in an innings.
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# Tim Southee, with 13 wickets at an average of 13.53 in four matches is the top wicket-taker in the present edition of the World Cup. Boult, with 10 wickets at an average of 14.40 in four matches, has the next best tally.
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(Stats by Rajesh Kumar)
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