LONDON — Steve Smith admits Australia has no margin for error as it looks to kick start its Champions Trophy campaign against Bangladesh Monday.
Australia’s bid to open the Champions Trophy group stage with a win was thwarted by heavy rain against New Zealand Friday.
Smith’s side needed a revised target of 235 to win in 33 overs after Kane Williamson hit a century in New Zealand’s 291 all out.
Australia was 53 for three off nine when the players left the field for the final time due to the bad weather in Birmingham.
The teams took a point apiece, a result that most benefits Group A rival England.
England launched the tournament, which features the world’s top eight one-day teams, with an eight-wicket win over Bangladesh at The Oval Thursday.
Smith acknowledged his team now has to win its remaining group matches if it is to advance to the semifinals.
“It’s obviously not ideal for both sides to have a washout. So for us now it’s just about making sure that we’re playing each game like a final and winning the next two,” Smith said.
“It’s a pretty quick tournament. So you can’t really afford a washout or a loss.
“You’ve got to turn it around quickly now and control what you can control.”
While Australia will be expected to take maximum points against Bangladesh at The Oval, history suggests Smith’s side shouldn’t underestimate its unheralded opponent.
Australia was the victims of one of the all-time great upsets when Bangladesh beat it by five wickets in a One-Day International in Cardiff in 2005.
For Australia to avoid another epic embarrassment, Smith needs far more accurate and penetrating spells from his bowlers.
Josh Hazlewood took six wickets against New Zealand, but fellow quicks Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins were much less impressive, managing just one wicket between them.
Smith was frustrated with the sloppy bowling, but he refused to reveal whether he would make changes to the line-up to face Bangladesh.
“Obviously we’ve got to win the next game and probably quite well as well. So we’ll look at that when we get there.”
Bangladesh’s failure to defend its solid score of 305 against England leaves it facing a daunting task if it is to advance.
England chased down that target with ease and Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza called on his bowlers to tighten up against Australia.
“I think in the middle patches of the match, we couldn’t get any wickets, that’s also a (key) point,” he said.
Mortaza also conceded Bangladesh must be more ruthless when it has a chance to kill off opponents.
“The batters can respond themselves a little bit better,” he said.
“With eight batters, we are in a great position to score 330, 340. But we lost too many wickets in the late order.”
Meanwhile, Australian cricket’s governing body said it is satisfied with security ahead of its match with Bangladesh Monday in light of the attack that left seven dead and dozens injured in London.
Cricket Australia was among many sporting bodies and teams to offer their condolences to the victims of the three assailants who smashed a van into pedestrians on London Bridge before attacking revelers in a popular nightlife hub with knives, in the third deadly terror attack in Britain since March.
Finn replacing Woakes
Steven Finn is joining England’s Champions Trophy squad in place of injured Chris Woakes.
Allrounder Woakes was ruled out of the remainder of the tournament after suffering a side strain early in England’s opening Group A victory against Bangladesh at the Oval Thursday.
The International Cricket Council said Sunday that it had approved Middlesex seamer Finn joining the England squad.
England’s next game is against New Zealand Tuesday in Cardiff.
Tharanga suspended for two games
Sri Lanka’s stand-in captain Upul Tharanga has been suspended for two matches due to his team’s slow over rate in Saturday’s Champions Trophy game against South Africa, the International Cricket Council said.
Sri Lanka completed its 50 overs more than half an hour behind schedule during the 96-run defeat by the South Africans at The Oval.
Tharanga, deputising as captain for the injured Angelo Mathews, will miss Sri Lanka’s remaining Group B matches against India and Pakistan. — Agencies
