AUS vs ENG: Josh Inglis' iconic century dictates Australia's 5-wicket win against England in 4th Champions Trophy game

The defending ODI World Champions started their journey in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 with a comprehensive 5-wicket win against England in their campaign opener. The Aussies scripted history by registering the highest-ever successful run-chase in the history of the ICC ODI tournaments, including ODI World Cups and Champions Trophy.

Two cricketing powerhouses played each other in the 4th game of the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Saturday. The Aussie skipper Steve Smith won the toss and asked England to bat first.

Batting first, England posted a massive total of 351 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in the allotted 50 overs courtesy of Ben Duckett’s sensational century. He scored 165 runs off just 143 balls, with 17 fours and three sixes, alongside former skipper and modern-day batting great Joe Root who scored crucial 68 runs off 78 balls, with 4 fours.

The Duckett-Root duo also stitched a decisive and amazing partnership of 168 runs for the third wicket in 25.4 overs. This partnership played a crucial role in taking England to a 300+ total. Besides Root and Duckett, skipper Jos Buttler and lower-order batter Jofra Archer also scored 23 and 21 runs, respectively.

Ben Dwarhuis scalped 3 wickets for Australia in the first innings, alongside 2 wickets each bagged by Adam Zampa and Marnus Labuschagne. Apart from these three, the veteran all-rounder Glenn Maxwell also picked 1 wicket for his side in the first half of the game.

Josh Inglis and Alex Carey guide Australia to a historic win

While chasing the target, Australia looked in trouble when they lost 2 wickets at just 27 runs in 4.1 overs before opener Matthew Short and number four batter Marnus Labuschagne stitched a 95-run partnership for the third wicket. Short scored 63 runs off 66 balls, with nine fours and a six, alongside Labuschagne's 47 runs off 45 balls, with five fours. Australia lost two wickets in quick succession and were now 4-wicket down at the score of 136 runs.

Then came a match-winning and decisive partnership of 146 runs for the fifth wicket between star wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis and Alex Carey. Carey scored 69 runs off 63 balls, with eight fours. However, Josh Inglis firmly stood there in the middle and smashed a fate-turning century for Australia, hitting 120 runs off just 86 balls, with eight fours and six sixes.

Inglis was accompanied by the veteran all-rounder Glenn Maxwell till the end to take Australia home with an impressive and historic 5-wicket win against England. Maxwell played a quick and fiery knock of 32 runs off just 15 balls, with 4 fours and two sixes. Except for Joe Root, all English bowlers scalped a wicket each in the second innings. 

Australia's star of the day, Josh Inglis won the ‘Player of the Match’ award for his iconic and historic century in Australia’s favour.