David Warner and Travis Head combine for record-breaking partnership as England suffers its worst ODI defeat

David Warner and Travis Head combined for a record-breaking partnership at the MCG before England crumbled to its worst defeat in ODI history.

Steve Smith of Australia. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

It’s fair to say that Australia has found its opening partnership for next year’s World Cup in India.

Travis Head (152 off 130 balls) and David Warner (106 off 102 balls) combined for a record-breaking 269-run opening partnership on Tuesday afternoon, demolishing England’s second-choice bowling attack as Australia secured a whopping 221-run victory at the MCG.

It was the highest partnership at the MCG in ODI history and Australia’s second-largest partnership in the 50-over format.

England hardly put up a fight in the run chase, rolled for 142 in the 32nd over to suffer their largest defeat in men's ODIs and hand Australia a 3-0 series whitewash.

Thankfully, not many people witnessed the woeful batting performance - only 10,406 fans walked through the MCG gates on Tuesday, the lowest attendance at the iconic venue for a men's ODI involving Australia.

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England captain Jos Buttler won the toss and elected to field first in the Victorian capital, a decision he would soon regret.

It was a nervy start for Head, who edged a delivery through the slips and successfully overturned an LBW decision after Hawkeye replays showed the ball narrowly pitched outside leg stump.

But once the white Kookaburra stopped swinging, it was all one-way traffic.

Australia was 0/64 at the end of the Powerplay, rarely offering chances once the fielding restrictions were lifted.

England’s bowlers struggled to consistency hit a good line and length, with Head and Warner smacking anything overpitched or short enough to pull through mid-wicket.

Player of the Match Head reached triple figures in just 91 deliveries before Warner followed suit, passing the milestone in 97 balls.

Travis Head is congratulated by David Warner. Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

It was Warner’s first century in international cricket since January 2020 and his 18th ton in ODI cricket - the only Australian with more is the legendary Ricky Ponting.

During the knock, Warner also became the third-fastest cricketer to reach 6000 runs in men's ODIs.

Head and Warner are now statistically the best partnership in ODI history, averaging 85.07 at the crease together in the 50-over format. No pairing that has batted at least 10 times together in ODIs boasts a higher average.

“If we’re talking about the World Cup in 2023 - I think David Warner has just found his partner,” West Indies legend Brian Lara said on Fox Cricket commentary.

Head and Warner both fell victim to Olly Stone's pace in the 39th over before rain intervened, reducing the match to a 48-over contest.

West Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh provided some late fireworks, cracking 30 from 16 balls at the death as the hosts registered 5/355, the largest total at the MCG in ODIs.

Stone, playing his sixth ODI for England, finished with career-best figures of 4/85 from his 10 overs.

Travis Head has - not surprisingly - proved to be the perfect foil for Warner. Aus openers in complete control of this innings. #AUSvENG

— Melinda Farrell (@melindafarrell) November 22, 2022

The MCG pitch starting playing tricks after the interval, seaming viciously off the surface during the Powerplay.

Josh Hazlewood snared the early breakthrough for Australia, removing Adelaide centurion Dawid Malan in the third over with a delivery that caught the inside edge.

Australian captain Pat Cummins then dismissed Jason Roy and Sam Billings in quick succession to leave England reeling at 3/66 in the 15th over.

When England No. 3 James Vince departed for 22 soon after, the result became a foregone conclusion.

Australian leg-spinner Adam Zampa started to work his magic from the Shane Warne Stand End, claiming two wickets in consecutive deliveries to remove rival skipper Jos Buttler and all-rounder Chris Woakes cheaply.

The rest of England's lower-order toppled like dominoes.

"We've fallen a long way short," Buttler told BBC Test Match Special.

"It was always going to be a tough series for us coming off the back of the World Cup but it was just a few games too far.

"Fair play to Australia, they have outplayed us.

"It doesn't put any taint on the World Cup win at all for us. We're very happy with the tour, we've got exactly what we wanted from it."

Zampa finished with 4/31 from 5.4 overs, ending the series as the highest wicket-taker with 11 scalps. Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the talented tweaker has taken 52 ODI wickets at 18.07.

Adam Zampa of Australia. Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images