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Australia obliterate England by 221 runs in third ODI at the MCG to complete series sweep :

Travis Head and David Warner have powered Australia to a record 221-run smashing of England, securing a 3-0 ODI whitewash of the dual white-ball world champions.

Australia’s prolific pair added 269 for the opening wicket, the second-highest partnership in the nation’s ODI history, as they smashed a tired and sorry England in front of just 10,406 fans at the MCG on Tuesday.

The winning margin in the third and final game was Australia’s biggest over England in ODIs, eclipsing the mark set in the second tri-series final of 1999.

Warner and Head’s centuries helped Australia post 5-355, the highest ODI total at the MCG, after England captain Jos Buttler won the toss and elected to field.

Head hit 152 from 130 balls to bring up his third ODI ton and highest score in the format, making England pay for dropping him when he was on just four.

The South Australian left-hander also successfully reviewed an LBW decision after being given out in just the third over.

Warner finally ended an international century drought spanning 1040 days, dating back to January 2020, blasting 106 for his 19th ODI hundred.

The pair, who only reunited at the top of the order for this series after Aaron Finch’s ODI retirement last month, fell 15 runs short of breaking their own record for Australia’s highest ODI partnership.

Warner and Head put on 284 together as Australia smashed Pakistan at Adelaide Oval in January 2017.

In just 13 innings, Warner and Head have scored 1106 runs as an ODI partnership at an average of 85.07.

Their form is excellent news for Australia as they prepare for the 50-over World Cup in India next year.

Two rain delays during Australia’s innings reduced the game to 48 overs per-side, with England’s target lifted to 364.

England’s run chase was as lacklustre as their efforts in the field as they were all out for 142 in the 32nd over.

Opener Jason Roy top-scored with 38 and had little support as England seemed more focused on their 6am flight home on Wednesday.

Fast bowler Olly Stone, who was playing in just his sixth ODI, was comfortably the pick of England’s bowlers with figures of 4-85.

Australian leg-spinner Adam Zampa finished with 4-31 to finish the series with 11 wickets.

Australia entered the match with an unassailable 2-0 lead after comfortably winning games in Adelaide and Sydney last week.

It was a dire way for England to end their time in Australia, with the loss coming just nine days after Buttler held the T20 World Cup trophy aloft at the MCG in front of a crowd of 80,462.

After resting from Saturday’s game, Pat Cummins (2-25) returned to captain Australia following fellow fast bowler Josh Hazlewood’s surprise elevation to skipper for that match.

Mitchell Starc stayed home to rest in Sydney ahead of a busy Test summer as all-rounder Sean Abbott made his first appearance of the series.

 

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