The most gratifying aspect of England’s pre-World Cup series win over Australia was death bowling, an area they failed to get right in previous tournaments.
The way the bowlers kept their cool, defending a total of 208 in Perth and 178 in Canberra, was impressive as they picked up momentum ahead of their opener against Afghanistan.
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England worked their way into a dominant position in India 2016 and the United Arab Emirates in 2021 before falling at the final hurdle, making those back-to-back victories over defending champions Australia at last bowling particularly significant as there were still days before the start of their tournament are.
Sam Curran (2-35) was exceptional again, picking up wickets from Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis and Tim David to keep the hosts at bay as they threatened to pull away.
The inspired 24-year-old also threw the final over in the first match, dismissing Matthew Wade and Nathan Ellis on back-to-back balls as Australia needed 16.
Its emergence as a true death bowling option is a huge bonus for England, who probably expected it to play a small part in the tournament.
Dawid Malan also played with the racquet as England won by eight runs, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-game streak and hitting 82 from 49 deliveries.
It was another crucial contribution from England’s top-scoring batsman in the format after they were reduced to 54-4 in Canberra.
The return of Australia’s front-line bowling attack as well as explosive all-rounder Glenn Maxwell is likely to put England to a tougher test and that proved in the early stages when Jos Buttler, Alex Hales, Ben Stokes and Harry Brook all fell cheaply.
Sam Curran starred as England defeated world champions Australia
But Malan, who pushed the order down to seven in the first match, anchored the innings masterfully and was deftly assisted by Moeen Ali, who smashed 44 of 27 balls. The pair shared a score of 92 to take them to 178, a total that looked unlikely at half-time.
It was another useful outing for Matthew Mott’s side but pressure after pressure is beginning to build on Stokes in terms of bat display.
The Test skipper played his first T20 cap since March 2021 in the series opener when he made nine and he again looked unconvincing in his seven innings in Canberra before being bowled by Adam Zampa.
His sheer personality is hard to miss, and his influence extends beyond his batting. He threw two useful overs, conceded 10 runs and performed a magical border save to deny Mitchell Marsh an almost certain six.
He is likely to still feature in the opener in England but all eyes will be on his batting power in Friday’s final game of the series as time runs out to get back into shape.
Liam Livingstone is targeting the final warm-up game against Pakistan to return from injury and is expected to return straight to the squad if he proves his fitness.
The fight between Hales and Phil Salt to open the punch was a major pre-series subplot. The Nottinghamshire batsman dropped to a blistering 84 in the first match and four in the second and will look to end the debate with another notable result on Friday.
Captain Buttler praised Malan and Curran after they sealed the series win. “That was a really satisfying win to lose the throw again and set a goal,” he told BT Sport.
“We showed great character and Malan played really well. He’s been really consistent and has done it against every attack around the world.
“He played some good innings and that was very special after he had his 50th cap before the game.”
“Curran is one of those bowlers who wants to be in the middle of those big moments. We had to get Tim David out to win the game, he has great power and Sam did that for us.”
Australia brought back the big guns in Canberra, largely returning to the tried and true formula that got them across the finish line in Dubai last November.
On a dismount, Mitchell Starc refrained from new ball duties for the third time in his international T20 career and for the first time since 2014. The move seemed to pay off with Cummins removing Buttler, but left arm Starc was unusually expensive in the middle overs.
Captain Aaron Finch opened after retiring in previous matches in order, making a run to a ball 13. Maxwell also fell for eight, meaning he’s only had 16 runs in his last six games.
Mitchell Marsh and Tim David both made significant contributions with the racquet but they failed to see Australia over the line in a close encounter where the field ultimately made the difference.
“We were really bad – sloppy, missed chances,” said Finch. “Especially when we’ve taken four wickets in the first 10, we make it easier for ourselves if we can get five or six down.”
Their side remain largely solid ahead of their title defense, with the only big question mark surrounding a failed batting order, with Steve Smith awaiting on the wings.
England will continue to manage their resources, with Stokes form and bowling attack makeup likely to be the dominant narratives as they target a rare series whitewash in Australia.
Watch the third T20 between Australia and England on Friday from 8.45am on BT Sport 1.
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