Defending champions Australia went into the 2022 T20 World Cup as the team many pundits felt was the one to beat at the tournament. Not only did they have a home advantage, but they showed 12 months ago that they can be destructive in this format of the game.
Defending champions and hosts Australia are OUT ❌#T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/cAhIOO8AcB
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) November 5, 2022
Australia had to settle for third place in Group 1, behind rivals New Zealand and England respectively in the standings. They finished on the same number of points as those teams, but their run rate was inferior.
Following the exit of Australia, India is now the favorite at +200 in the betting odds on cricket to lift the trophy in Melbourne in the final, with England and New Zealand the next best at +220 and +300 respectively.
England has had a lot of success in white ball cricket over the last few years, so they are likely to be one of the leading cricket betting tips for the knockout stages of the tournament. They beat Australia in a warm-up series before the ICC event began and they were successful at the Cricket World Cup in 2019, so victory here would complete an impressive double.
Weather Did not Help the Hosts
The 2022 T20 World Cup has been hit with a lot of rain, which has meant a lot of matches have been abandoned. The home team was set to face England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on October 28, but not a single ball was bowled in that contest.
Had Australia faced England, they would have at least been able to control their destiny with a victory. A full house at the MCG would also have been cheering on the 2021 winners against the biggest rivals in the sport.
A winning start to the @T20WorldCup at the @scg! Tim Southee 3-6, Mitch Santner 3-31 and Trent Boult 2-24. Scorecard | https://t.co/B2xf1USee1 #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/tHDK8Erz1W
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) October 22, 2022
Australia was on the back foot in this tournament following its defeat to New Zealand in their opening Super 12s contest. That proved to be their only loss, but the damage was done, as both the Kiwis and England continued to win the matches they needed to defend their position inside the top two of the group.
Australia Now Has Chance to The Year On A High
The Baggy Greens must now brush themselves off from the T20 World Cup disappointment as many of the players which were involved in the competition will feature for their country in a three-match ODI series against England in late November.
The Cricket World Cup in 2023 is the next major limited-overs tournament on the ICC calendar. As five-time winners, Australia has won that event more than any other team in the world. They now must prepare for that event in India which begins in October.
After the series against England, Australia then concentrates on Test cricket for the rest of the year, as they welcome the West Indies and South Africa. They will have five matches to strengthen their position at the top of the ICC Test standings.
Overall, 2022 has been a good year for Australia, despite their early exit from the T20 World Cup.
Read: T20 World Cup 2022: India will face England in the semi-final; India vs Pakistan in the final?
