"Australia, what do you do?" - Aakash Chopra on the Aussies' 'one-sided' win in ENG vs AUS 2025 Champions Trophy clash

Former India player Aakash Chopra has lauded Australia for registering a 'one-sided' win in their 2025 Champions Trophy clash against England. He pointed out that the Aussies are a depleted unit, especially in the bowling department, and were chasing a record total.

England set Australia a 352-run target in a 2025 Champions Trophy Group B game in Lahore on Saturday, February 22. Steve Smith and company achieved the target with five wickets and 15 deliveries to spare to start their campaign in the prestigious tournament with a win.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener wondered how Australia pulled off their first win in a Champions Trophy game since 2009 despite the absence of key players like Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Marcus Stoinis and Mitchell Marsh.

"Australia, what do you do? A fun fact was that 2009 was the last time they won a Champions Trophy match. When you see that there is no Starc, Hazlewood, Cummins, Stoinis and Marsh in their team, you say they are a slightly depleted team. The bowling is actually extremely depleted but they make up for it. What an incredible team this is," he said (17:15).

Chopra noted that Ben Duckett and Joe Root's knocks had helped England post the highest total in Champions Trophy history before Australia's chase.

"When Australia won the toss and decided to bowl, Ben Duckett hit. He scored 165 runs. Root also scored runs and the team reached beyond 350, the highest score in the history of the Champions Trophy. You felt they would surely win from there, although it also seemed that they could have scored maybe 370," he observed.

While Duckett smashed 165 runs off 143 deliveries, Root scored a 78-ball 68. The duo added 158 runs for the third wicket after England were reduced to 43/2 in the sixth over.

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"I felt it wouldn't happen as their two big pillars had gone" - Aakash Chopra on Australia's chase in ENG vs AUS 2025 Champions Trophy clash

Travis Head managed only six runs off five deliveries in Australia's 2025 Champions Trophy chase against England. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra acknowledged that he thought Australia wouldn't be able to win their 2025 Champions Trophy clash against England when Travis Head and Steve Smith were dismissed early in the chase.

"I thought the pitch had slowed down a lot and it would be difficult. They would need to have a good opening partnership and Travis Head would have to hit. However, both he and Steve Smith got out. I felt it wouldn't happen as their two big pillars had gone," he said (19:35).

The cricketer-turned-commentator praised Matthew Short and Marnus Labuschagne for adding crucial runs and Josh Inglis and Alex Carey for stitching together a match-winning partnership.

"However, Matthew Short played well. Marnus Labuschagne played well with him. Then they lost back-to-back wickets. However, Josh Inglis and Alex Carey, how well the duo batted. They kept hitting. They had so much belief in their ability. They were just chasing the target without a worry in the world. There was no doubt about it going wrong," Chopra observed.

Chopra noted that Australia registered a comprehensive win despite being in a spot of bother while chasing a massive total against a formidable team.

"This is a lesson for everyone. If you are chasing such a big total, you need to stay close to the required run rate. This run chase is one of the finest in ODI cricket history. Four wickets had fallen and you won with 2.3 overs to spare. How can you make a 350-score so one-sided? It wasn't a minnow team, it was England," he elaborated.

Matthew Short (63 off 66) and Marnus Labuschagne (47 off 45) added 95 runs for the third wicket after Australia were reduced to 27/2 in Saturday's game. Josh Inglis (120* off 86) and Alex Carey (69 off 63) then stitched together a 146-run fifth-wicket partnership before the former took Australia home in Glenn Maxwell's (32* off 15) company.