In a stunning turn of events, the reigning champions, England, were officially eliminated from the Cricket World Cup after suffering a 33-run loss to Australia at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium.
This loss marks a significant upset in the tournament, and England's hopes of progressing to the semifinals have been dashed.
Zampa's all-round heroics
Leg-spinner Adam Zampa emerged as the star of the match, earning the title of "Player of the Match" for his outstanding performance.
Zampa tore through England's middle order, taking 3 crucial wickets for just 21 runs in a ten-over spell, sealing his reputation as the leading wicket-taker of the tournament.
Australia's innings were anchored by a patient half-century from Marnus Labuschagne, who displayed remarkable composure in his innings of 71.
Late fireworks from Zampa, who contributed a valuable 29 runs from 19 deliveries, propelled Australia to a total of 286 all out. England's Chris Woakes was the standout bowler for the defending champions, claiming four wickets in a commendable effort.
England's run chase began with early setbacks as opener Jonny Bairstow departed for a golden duck. Despite a steady 84-run partnership between Dawid Malan and Ben Stokes, the Australian bowlers, led by Zampa, regained control of the match.
England's hopes rested on their captain Jos Buttler, but his reckless charge down the pitch against Zampa led to his dismissal for just 1 run.
Australia's Path to semifinals becomes clear
Australia's victory now places them in a favorable position in the World Cup standings, currently ranked third. They need just one more win from their remaining two group stage matches against Afghanistan and Bangladesh to secure a spot in the semifinals. A dramatic net run rate overhaul remains the only potential hurdle for their advancement.
England captain expresses disappointment
In a post-match presentation, England's captain Jos Buttler expressed his team's profound disappointment, stating, "To be stood here in this position after arriving in India with very high hopes is incredibly tough and incredibly disappointing. It hurts a lot. We haven't done ourselves justice.
We feel like we've let ourselves down. We've let people down at home, the people who support us through thick and thin."
The loss by the defending champions marks the first time a World Cup winner has been eliminated in the group stage since Australia faced a similar fate in 1992.
Despite Chris Woakes' excellent performance with the ball, taking four wickets for 54 runs, England's batting lineup could not deliver the necessary runs to secure victory. England now faces an early exit from the tournament and a long journey back home, where fans will be left to ponder what went wrong for the defending champions.
