AUS VS IRE - 31st Match, Super 12 Group 1, ICC Mens T20 World Cup 2022

Australia got the two points but they would have liked more from this game. Anyway, they are still alive and will hope their arch-rivals England stumble tomorrow. That is going to be a big game in this group - England v New Zealand. Do join us for that. Until next time, goodbye and stay safe..

Aaron Finch | Australia captain: It was a good performance. Getting 180 was a decent score on that wicket. We knew we had to lay the foundation early and couldn't risk being 4-5 down. Just a little bit of hammy tightness, he (Tim David) sat out as a precaution. It is nice when it works like that (not opening with Starc), doesn't always work but there's a lot of time and planning that goes into it, sometimes you look great and sometimes you look stupid, you take the good with the bad in this format. It would have been nice, having them 5 for 25 to really push that forward, Tucker played a helluva knock there.

Andy Balbirnie | Ireland captain: It was hardly fought. The first innings got away, we bowled well but a couple of overs didn't go our way and certainly didn't get the start with the bat, but to show the fight at the end was nice. Looking at the scoreboard we thought it wasn't against us, again the wickets column was a problem and who knows if someone had stayed with Tucker. He has had a really good World Cup and these wickets here suit him.

Aaron Finch | Player of the Match: It wasn't the easiest wicket, it was a lot slower than what we expected. They changed their pace really well and bowled a lot of cutters early in the innings, it was hard to get a rhythm and we did well to get 180. Not at all (felt the pressure). The support from the change room and support staff has been unbelievable. T20 is a high risk game, sometimes you get it off the middle and sometimes you don't. Like I said, when they went to try and bowl really wide it was easier and tough when they took the pace off. Really a hammy twinge I think, I will get a scan tomorrow, I have a history of them. It doesn't look bad at the moment but let's see how it goes after the scan. Very hopeful (of our chances).

21:22 Local Time, 11:22 GMT, 16:52 IST: The chase was derailed in the fourth over itself but full credit to Ireland and Tucker in particular for not folding cheaply. They came out with a lot of intent and probably a bit too much as they tried to hit every ball to the boundary and in the process lost their first 5 wickets for just 25 runs. Tucker kept the scoreboard ticking from one end and got some support from the lower order, but in the end he was left with too much to do. Australia had the chance to boost their NRR but Tucker's unbeaten 71 has dented their chances big time. Apart from Hazlewood, all the other bowlers had their name in the wicket column but they could not win by 75 runs which would have taken their NRR above England. Presentations coming up..

Maxwell to Joshua Little, out Joshua Little Run Out!! Australia win by 42 runs. That is inexperience right there. Tucker could have denied the single off the last ball but he allowed Little to have strike and then tries to steal a single first ball of this over. Little reverse sweeps straight to backward point and Tucker called him through for a single, Marsh throws the ball to Maxwell and he lights up the stumps, Little was just short of the crease. Joshua Little run out (Mitchell Marsh/Maxwell) 1(5)

Maxwell to Joshua Little, THATS OUT!! Run Out!!

Run-out check sent upstairs. Maxwell is confident that Little is short of his ground. Marsh is not quite sure. Yes, he's short. OUT!

Glenn Maxwell [2.0-0-14-2] is back into the attack

Amul: Just to put things into perspective, the extra runs given by Ireland in first innings are greater than the combined scores of four Irish batters - Balbirnie, Tector, Campher and Dockrell.

Cummins to Joshua Little, 1 run, off-pace short of length delivery and Little drags the pull off the inner half to deep mid-wicket, Tucker takes the single

Cummins to Joshua Little, no run, bouncer on middle and leg, Little makes room and is beaten for pace. The ball flies through to Wade

Cummins to Joshua Little, no run, slower ball banged into the surface, Little is early into the pull and misses, the ball hits the shoulder and rolls to point

Cummins to Joshua Little, no run, short of length around off, Little arches back and attempts the ramp, beaten

Joshua Little, right handed bat, comes to the crease

Cummins to McCarthy, out Caught by (sub)Smith!! The partnership is finally broken. McCarthy nails the pull but picks out deep mid-wicket. It was the slower short of length delivery and McCarthy had time to set himself up for the pull, he middles it alright but does not place it, Smith barely had to move to take that catch. McCarthy c (sub)Smith b Cummins 3(7)

Cummins to McCarthy, THATS OUT!! Caught!!

Cummins to McCarthy, no run, short of length outside off, McCarthy makes room and cannot connect with the cut shot

Pat Cummins [3.0-0-27-1] is back into the attack

Starc to Tucker, 2 runs, massive over, 18 runs. Low full toss on the pads and Tucker flicks it to deep mid-wicket, he's happy to come back for the second and allow McCarthy to have strike

Starc to Tucker, wide, aims for the batter's toes but Tucker stays inside the line and misses the flick, wide down leg