England vs Australia 2018: 5 Talking Points from 5th ODI

In what was a welcome departure from the run-fests witnessed in recent times, England and Australia fought a low-scoring thriller at the Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester. A surface, which provided assistance for both seamers and spinners alike, served as ideal setting for a captivating contest between bat and ball.

In front of a partisan crowd, Australia scrapped hard by pillaging through the hosts' top-order. Their hopes of securing a consolation win were dashed by an astounding knock from the in-form Jos Buttler. The dynamic right-hander's unbeaten century guided England to a stirring one-wicket victory and the accompanying 5-0 clean-sweep in the series. Here are five major talking points from the riveting encounter.

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#5 Head's conversion issue continues

Another soft dismissal curtailed Travis Head's promise

Normally, three successive half-centuries would deserve instant commendation. However, in the current scenario of limited-overs cricket, most team managements prefer to see substantial scores at the top of the order. Following middling scores of 63 and 51 in the previous two matches, opener Travis Head looked like leaving a firmer imprint on the game at Manchester. Until another soft dismissal halted his stay in the middle.

In the company of Aaron Finch, Head was largely responsible for Australia's boisterous start. Having brought up his tenth ODI half-century off just 36 balls, the southpaw seemed to be on his way to a sizeable score. But he gave his wicket away rather cheaply during an inopportune moment in the innings. Liam Plunkett's propensity to extract sharp bounce evinced a soft lob to mid-wicket and curtailed his effort.

#4 Moeen's career-best exposes Australian approach

Moeen Ali's orthodox style of bowling has managed to befuddle Australia

Given his lackluster recent form as well as the diminishing returns of finger-spinners, not many would have expected Moeen Ali to lead the bowling charts before the ODI series began. The off-spinner's career-best haul of 4/46 elevated him to the joint-top spot (alongside Adil Rashid) in the five-match series.

The belligerence of the Australian openers forced skipper Eoin Morgan to turn to spin much earlier than anticipated. Moeen vindicated the move by castling Aaron Finch and outsmarting Marcus Stoinis in the space of three balls.

While his first two scalps were by-products of poor shot-selection from the batsmen, the wily off-spinner removed Shaun Marsh with enticing flight and turn. Moeen eventually rounded off the Australian innings and earned a maiden ODI four-wicket haul.

#3 Fiery Stanlake scythes through explosive top-order

Billy Stanlake lived up to reputation by blowing away England's top-order

In the absence of Australia's front-line pacers, there had been a lot riding on Billy Stanlake. Aside from showing glimpses of his potential in the opening game at The Oval, the lanky seamer had largely struggled to fill the void left by spearhead Mitchell Starc and company. With his team grappling for pride at Manchester, he finally demonstrated the reasoning behind the massive hype surrounding him.

Defending a meager total, Stanlake blew away England's much vaunted top-order in a fiery spell of vintage pace bowling. He clocked high speeds and generated steep lift from just short of good length.

While the seemingly unstoppable Jonny Bairstow was cramped for room, Joe Root was left baffled by the vicious bounce. Morgan did not last long either as his defence was breached irrevocably. In what was a dismal series for the Aussies, Stanlake's performance should be among the very few encouraging signs for the near future.

#2 Nerveless Buttler ascends under pressure

Jos Buttler is mobbed by his teammates after sealing victory for England

When he walked into bat, England were reeling at 27/4. By the time Alex Hales departed, the hosts' situation worsened further. With the ambitious Manchester faithful demanding a 5-0 series scoreline, the onus was on Jos Buttler to resuscitate the flagging run-chase.

Even as wickets continued to fall around him, Buttler stood firm and singlehandedly thwarted a spirited effort from the Australian bowlers. The nerveless manner in which he controlled the proceedings highlighted the 27-year old's ability to adapt his game.

Buttler's 122-ball 110 comprised of just 12 boundaries and a solitary six. There was a whole lot of dexterously obtained singles and doubles. When he refused a single to bring the scores level during the first ball of the 49th over, it was not entirely due to the lack of trust in Jake Ball's batting skills. This was a supremely confident cricketer backing his adroitness under pressure.

#1 England's depth overcomes Australia's best

Australia could find it particularly hard to recover from such a close defeat

Unlike in the preceding four matches, Australia came up with a gallant performance in a bid to avoid ignominy. The bowlers put on a spirited showing right throughout their defence. Aside from the embarrassment accompanying the series result, the agonisingly narrow defeat might just leave a sour note in the visitors' morale. After all, even their best effort in the tour thus far failed to take them across the line.

On the other hand, England should be delighted with the outcome of this game for a multitude of reasons. Notwithstanding the record-breaking exploits in the previous encounters, their susceptibility on sluggish pitches reared during the top-order meltdown. While such a collapse could have spelt doom for most other lineups, their remarkable batting depth came to the fore. The lower-order's capacity to contribute vital runs should hold them in good stead in the near future.