Australia vs Netherlands warm-up match Highlights: ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023 is set to kick off in less than a week, and Australia has already sent a strong message to their competitors. In yesterday's Australia vs Netherlands warm-up tie in Thiruvananthapuram, premier pacer Mitchell Starc ruled the show with his fiery bowling. The pacer rattled Netherlands batters and completed a hattrick.
The start of AUS vs NED warm-up match was delayed due to rain and later the umpires decided to reduce the fixture to 23 overs per side. Batting first, Australia posted 166/7 in 23 overs. Rain returned once again when Netherlands were 84/6 in 14.2 overs and the match had to be eventually called off.
Watch below viral video of Mitchell Starc taking a hat-trick in Australia vs Netherlands warm-up game
The five-time World Cup winners arrived in India much earlier ahead of other teams as they were scheduled to take on hosts India in a three-match ODI series. After facing a humiliating loss in the initial two ODIs, Australia delivered an exceptional performance in the third and final ODI in Rajkot, even though it was a dead rubber.
Australia posted an imposing total of 352/7 in 50 overs, with the top four Aussie batters making significant contributions. Veteran Aussie opener David Warner led the charge with a quickfire 56 off just 34 balls, while Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne both scored 70-plus runs. Mitchell Marsh came agonizingly close to a well-deserved century but fell short by just four runs.
In response, India managed to accumulate 286 runs before losing all their wickets in 49.4 overs. This strong performance by Australia in the warm-up series certainly puts them in a confident position as they approach the World Cup.