From a maths perspective, Australia’s World Cup campaign is not yet at crisis point. In a nine-match pool stage, losing twice still leaves you seven chances to win. Last time this format was used in 2019 no team won more than seven. England won six and went on to the final, facing New Zealand who won five. A long tournament allows time for mistakes and recovery.
From a human perspective, it feels further gone. Two tentative batting performances in a row, two middle-order collapses, a palpable sense of flatness. Against India to start the tournament, a tricky surface and good spinners still didn’t warrant a slump of five for 30 after a start of 110 for two. Against South Africa in Lucknow on Thursday, the crash began with the openers: six for 43 starting in the sixth over. By the 18th, the survivors were batting for net run rate.
