England vs Australia 2018: 5 Talking Points from 3rd ODI
Powered by their enviable top-order, England seamlessly surged to the highest total in ODI history without breaking much sweat. Upon inserting their opposition on a benign surface at Trent Bridge, Australia found themselves enduring a horror outing as the hosts unveiled a record-breaking performance with the bat during the third ODI of the 5-match series.
Extra Cover: Stats - England amass the highest ODI total of all time
Scintillating centuries from Jonny Bairstow and Alex Hales were at the forefront of England's scarcely believable total of 481 for the loss of six wickets. Battered into submission, Australia crumbled to an ignominious 242-run defeat and conceded an irreversible 0-3 deficit to the top ranked ODI outfit.
Here are the major talking points from the remarkable encounter in Nottingham.
#5 Bullish Bairstow continues majestic form
Bairstow's scores in his last six ODI outings make for astonishing reading. After rounding off the New Zealand series with 104 and 138, the dynamic right-hander smashed 105 in the one-off match against Scotland. Considering his high returns, even decent scores of 28 and 42 appear as aberrations at the start of the ongoing Australian affair.
Laced with15 boundaries and 5 sixes, Bairstow took advantage of the docile Trent Bridge track by hammering 139 from just 92 balls. He had to survive a couple of nervous moments towards the beginning of the innings.
A missed attempt at executing the sweep shot saw the umpire giving in to the vociferous appeal from Ashton Agar. However, Bairstow immediately called for the DRS and found the ball just missing the leg stump. In the very next over, he was dropped by Marcus Stoinis. From thereon, it was only one way traffic as the opener relentlessly punished the Australian bowlers.