Glenn Maxwell in brutal scenes as Aussies torched over Cooper Connolly mistake

Yahoo

04-03-2025

Australia's massive gamble of parachuting Cooper Connolly into opener for the Champions Trophy semi-final against India backfired spectacularly as Glenn Maxwell's struggles continued in the four-wicket loss in Dubai. Steve Smith (73 off 96) won the toss and batted first, with he and Alex Carey (61 off 57) laying the platform for Australia's 264-run total (off 49.3 overs) but a sublime display from Virat Kohli (84 off 98) and KL Rahul's unbeaten 42 saw the Indians get home with 11 balls to spare.
The Aussies dropped a bombshell before the match by picking Connolly to open in place of the injured Matt Short, despite the young gun having limited first class experience. The 21-year-old had batted twice before in ODIs, with scores of 7 not out and 3 in the middle order and he wasn't even in Australia's 15-player squad 48 hours before the match.
Connolly came in with an average of just 16.71 in his eight innings in 50-over cricket, having never opened before and he looked understandably nervous at the crease. The youngster showed next to no footwork at the crease after playing and missing at six balls in a row. On the seventh occasion, the young Aussie edge one behind from Mohammed Shami to see him dismissed for a nine-ball duck to give India the dream start.
'His misery ends there,' former Indian coach Ravi Shastri said in commentary after Connolly's dismissal. 'He was really struggling.' The 21-year-old also had a moment to forget in the field when he dropped India captain and opener Rohit Sharma on 13. But Connolly was mobbed by teammates a short time later when he made amends by removing Rohit for 28 for his first wicket at international level.
The left-arm spinner had not even bowled 200 balls in List A cricket coming into the semi-final but almost had the prized scalp of Kohli on 51 as well. However, Glenn Maxwell failed to hang onto an admittedly difficult chance, but one the veteran would have backed himself to take after diving to his right at short mid-off. Kohli went on to make 31 more crucial runs to lay the platform for Rahul and Hardik Pandya (28 off 24) to get India across the line.
Glenn Maxwell dropped the catch of Virat Kohli on 51 runs. pic.twitter.com/Rm7Zu0w8TY
— Salman 🇵🇰 (@SalmanAsif2007) March 4, 2025
Where the Australia lost the match when Glenn Maxwell dropped Virat Kohli catch. #INDvsAUS pic.twitter.com/TmgoNFp2Km
— 🗿 (@Pasandeeda_Mard) March 4, 2025
It capped off a match to forget for Maxwell, whose struggles with the bat in white-ball cricket continued after he fell for just seven (off five balls). The Aussies would have been hoping for some late pyrotechnics from Maxwell to lift them closer to a 300-run target that looked on the cards after Smith and Carey's efforts but he was clean-bowled by spinner Axel Patel for single figures.
Ben Dwarshuis (19 off 29) added some valuable late runs for Australia but Smith admitted afterwards that his side fell short of the total they were expecting at one stage. "We had our opportunities throughout to post something up above 300," said Smith. "We were probably just that one wicket down too many at a few stages throughout the innings."
Opener Travis Head (39) and Marnus Labuschagne (29) were among the Aussie batters to make starts but fail to go on with it and post a big score. And it ultimately proved costly as Kohli and the Indians expertly chased down Australia's target to avenge their defeat in the 2023 ODI World Cup final.
"If we extended one of those partnerships a little bit we're probably getting up 290 - 300 and we're putting a bit of pressure on the scoreboard," Smith added. "On that surface (300) would have been a really good total. (They) have got to take a few more risks to get above the rate. With 264, they were able to absorb a few balls here and there."
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Smith refused to get drawn into the debate about India having a major advantage by staying and playing the entire tournament in Dubai due to a political decision from their government, but he did say the wicket favoured the opposition and their vaunted spin attack. Other critics slammed the inclusion of Connolly, whose inexperience on the big stage was brutally exposed in the defeat.
Ian Healy on Cooper Connolly: "He just kept swinging, in those conditions you need to work the ball around into gap. I was getting so angry, this is such poor thinking." "Footwork was absent, the shot selection was poor, the technique of the shot was poor" pic.twitter.com/0vIYQZmVT3
— SENQ Breakfast (@CozHealsSEN) March 4, 2025
Cooper Connolly may be going to be a fine player, but right now he ain't it. Poor guy is so far off the standard it's not funny. Been played as a no.8 bowling all rounder without a domestic wicket, now thrusted into open in a cutthroat ODI v India#INDvsAUS
— Josh Conway (@BuzzConway_) March 4, 2025
That 9 balls which cooper Connolly played there is easily the worst I've ever seen😂😂😭😭🤣🤣
— Devesh Pant (@DeveshP79010226) March 4, 2025
Before opening for Australia in a semi final Cooper Connolly's highest one day score was 42. Michael Klinger averaged 49 with 18 hundreds in List A cricket and never played an ODI. Cooper Connolly has scored 127 runs total in professional one day cricket
— Dave (@Mesut_Ausil) March 4, 2025
Have there ever been anyone look more out of their depth at the top level of international sport more than Cooper Connolly. I'm staggered he got close enough to knick one! Feel sorry for him. #INDvsAUS
— Sean O'Sullivan (@SPiercePatrick) March 4, 2025
with AAP