Cricket: World champions choke against Australia to suffer first home series loss in five years

Australia defeated England by three wickets in the third and final one-day international of the Royal London series at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester on Wednesday. Consequently, the visitors sealed the series 2-1. In the process, the English side lost their first ODI series at home in the last five years.

England had won the toss and elected to bat first. On the first two deliveries of the game, England lost two wickets off Mitchell Starc's bowling.

But captain Eoin Morgan and Jonny Bairstow held the innings together and built a 67 run partnership for the third wicket. Captain Morgan was looking in good touch but he fell to Adam Zampa's spin for 23 off 28 balls.

Bairstow continued his terrific batting and eventually scored a 126-ball 112 before Pat Cummins bowled him out. Sam Billings scored an impressive 58-ball 57 runs before Mitchell Marsh caught him off Zampa's bowling. Chris Woakes chipped in with a quickfire 39-ball 53 not out.

The hosts finished their 50 overs with 302/7 on the scoreboard. In the end, the total was just not enough for the Aussies.

The English bowlers had created extreme pressure on the opposition, as the five-time world champions were reduced to 73/5 after 17 overs. Just when England was smelling victory, Glenn Maxwell and Alex Carey's record-breaking 212-run partnership shattered their dreams. According to BBC, this marked Australia's highest sixth-wicket partnership in one-dayers.

In the process, they surpassed Brad Haddin and Mike Hussey's 165-run partnership against West Indies in 2006. Maxwell hit a sensational 108 from 90 balls, while Carey scored a more measured 106.

Adil Rashid dismissed Maxwell at a time when the visitors still needed to make 18 from 15 balls. Soon, Carey was sent to the dressing room. At that moment, Australia needed 10 runs from six balls to create history.

Starc hit the first ball of the 50th over from Adil Rashid for a six, followed by a boundary to ensure the series win for the Australians with two balls to spare.

The loss on Wednesday marked England's first series defeat in 2020. England's fielders would be frustrated as they could have dismissed Carey for nine if Jofra Archer had not overstepped. The Australia wicket keeper was caught at third man but soon the delivery was called a no-ball. This was England's last home series of the summer.