Sports
Labuschagne, Warner underline unrewarding day of toil for England
In what proved to be a challenging day for Australia in multiple ways, they rose to the task by grinding their way to 221/2 by the end of the first day of the D/N Test in Adelaide. Marnus Labuschagne’s unbeaten 95 and David Warner’s 95 were the catalysts in Australia’s defiance for a large part of the day.
The duo shared a partnership worth 172 before Warner fell to England’s short-ball ploy, missing a ton by a whisker for the second time in as many Tests. However, Labuschagne lived to survive another day, despite a few close calls, and continued to keep England at bay, adding a further 45 with stand-in skipper Steve Smith by the end of the day.
Smith, leading Australia for the first time since the Sandpaper fiasco, had to step in on the morning of the match after regular skipper Pat Cummins was deemed a close contact of a person who tested positive for COVID-19. And while he had no hesitation in opting to bat, England’s all-pace attack made life difficult for the batters.
The tone was set by the experienced duo of James Anderson and Stuart Broad, who probed away in a testing opening spell that yielded only 11 runs in 9 overs. Through that, Broad, operating from the now-famous around the wicket angle, had Marcus Harris in trouble multiple times. He had him adjudged LBW once before it was overturned on review, but soon had him edging behind a pull to be sensationally caught by Jos Buttler.
Warner, who managed to get off the mark only off the 20th delivery he faced and after Harris’ dismissal, remained patient right through the knock. England lost two reviews while trying to trap Warner LBW and resorted to different ploys including an extended short-ball strategy through Ben Stokes, primarily.
The short-ball ploy also gave Marnus Labuschagne a couple of nervous moments when he guided one perilously close to slip and then copped a couple of blows on the body, and was eventually dropped on 21 by Buttler off an edged pull.
But as the day wore on, Warner began to take a few more chances in the second session. Joe Root was driven and lofted while Stokes was slapped over cover and pulled as he got to a second consecutive fifty, off 106 balls. Labuschagne too followed up with his 12th fifty in Tests, taking as much as 156 balls.
The duo extended their dominance even into the final session despite a few nervous moments. But just as Warner began to open up more, pulling Stokes for a boundary, he fell to England’s trap. The short ball from Stokes was slapped straight to the lone man at cover, to be dismissed on 95, which follows his 94 in the first Test.
But both Labuschagne and Steve Smith, who was welcomed with a leg trap managed to see through England’s fast-medium spells with relative ease, and while Root’s offspin threatened to induce some luck, it never came close to resulting in a wicket. England’s final throw of the dice on the day came with the second new ball.
And it very nearly paid off, as Anderson continued to be on the money. His probing spell under the lights posed a few tough questions to Labuschagne. There were multiple plays and misses before he eventually edged one trying to punch off the backfoot. However, the straightforward chance was put down by Buttler with Labuschagne on 95, ending and unrewarding day of toil for England.
Brief Scores:
Australia 221/2
( David Warner 95, Marnus Labuschagne 95*) vs England
(Cricbuzz)
Oman have suffered three heavy defeats to Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka, and Ireland at the 2026 T20 World Cup, and had been thumped by Australia the only other time these two teams met, at the 2024 edition. But captain Jatinder Singh says his team sees their final match of this tournament as an opportunity to surprise a wounded Australia team.
Australia have nothing to gain from the match against Oman in Pallekele on Friday, aside from preserving some pride. Perhaps the gloom around the Australia camp will give Oman an opening. In fact it might be “the best time to crush them”.
“One hundred percent this is an opportunity,” Jatinder said. “And our boys are looking forward to it. Because T20 is a game of momentum and the moments, and if you play those moments right, you can do anything on that particular day. Australia is not doing well at the moment… it is the best time to crush them.
“The boys are really positive. They are looking forward to the match against Australia to make their mark.”
On how to make Oman more competitive in the long term, Jatinder believed franchise cricket opportunities for Oman players could be one route. Oman did not have a heavy cricket schedule in 2025, playing only 15 T20Is that year in addition to eight ODIs.
“Well if I have to sum up how Oman can improve, it would be if we have the franchise cricket happening in the country or our guys get a chance to play franchise cricket elsewhere,” Jatinder said. “I think we can fill that gap and they can bring vast amount of experience for our national team.
“But if we don’t get to play competitive cricket, whereas other teams are getting to play the competitive cricket, we will need to fill that gap. There have been instances where we’ve been inviting the teams to come and play in Oman. The response has been really delayed, or we don’t get any response. So I think if we have the franchise cricket, that would really fill the gap.”
[Cricinfo]
Oman made a couple of changes in the last two fixtures without success. Shakeel Ahmed went in and out of the side in the three games, but picked three wickets against Ireland and should keep his place. Jatinder might look at giving top-order batter Karan Sonavale another go.
[Cricbuzz]
Zimbabwe marched into the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup with the swagger of a side that refuses to read the script, completing the group phase unbeaten after a polished six-wicket win over co-hosts Sri Lanka at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium on Thursday.
Ranked 11th in the world, the African side have been the tournament’s disruptors-in-chief. Having already sent former champions Australia packing last week, they now added 2014 winners Sri Lanka to their growing list of scalps, underlining that this is no flash in the pan but a team riding a serious wave of momentum.
Chasing 179 on a surface that demanded both muscle and method, Zimbabwe found themselves at crossroads when 65 were needed off the last 36 balls. Enter Sikandar Raza, sleeves rolled up and eyes locked in.
The all-rounder flipped the contest on its head in one decisive over from Dushan Hemantha, plundering 20 runs with two towering sixes and a rasping boundary. In the blink of an eye, the asking rate dipped and Sri Lanka’s shoulders sagged.
Raza and Brian Bennett stitched together a match-defining 69 off 40 deliveries for the third wicket, mixing clean ball-striking with smart running between the wickets. Zimbabwe crossed the line with three balls to spare.
While Raza provided the late fireworks with 45 off 26 balls, peppered with two fours and four sixes, opener Bennett was the glue that held the innings together. His composed 63 off 48 deliveries, studded with eight fours, ensured Zimbabwe never lost sight of the target.
Even when Raza departed with 13 still required from two overs, Sri Lanka sensed a sniff. But Tony Munyonga calmly clubbed Maheesh Theekshana’s first delivery of the final over into the stands, draining the tension from the contest. Fittingly, Bennett sealed the deal with the winning boundary. Raza was named Man of the Match.
It was Zimbabwe’s second-highest successful run chase in T20Is.
Earlier, after opting to bat, Sri Lanka were once again anchored by Pathum Nissanka. Fresh from becoming the tournament’s first centurion earlier in the week, Nissanka produced a polished 62 off 47 balls, bringing up his seventh T20 World Cup half-century, equalling Mahela Jayawardene’s record for the most by a Sri Lankan.
He and Kusal Perera gave the innings early impetus with a brisk 54 off 30 balls for the opening stand before Nissanka added a further 46 in 43 deliveries alongside Kusal Mendis.
Pavan Rathnayake provided the late thrust, clearing the ropes twice in a 44 off 25 balls as Sri Lanka posted a competitive 178.
Zimbabwe’s bowlers, however, ensured it was a chaseable target rather than a daunting one. Veteran leg-spinner Graeme Cremer led the way with 2-27, applying the squeeze in the middle overs, while the towering Blessing Muzarabani struck twice to finish with 2-38.
Sri Lanka now turn their attention to a Super Eight showdown against England in Kandy on Sunday, a contest that promises high stakes and little margin for error. Zimbabwe, brimming with belief, head to Bombay to face the West Indies on Monday, no longer the underdogs but a side that has earned its place at the top table.
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