Australia vs Ireland Highlights, T20 World Cup 2026: Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa Run Riot As Australia Thrash Ireland By 67 Runs

Signing off from Colombo - End of the second match of the day and after a never-ending first game, we have witnessed a fairly one-sided contest. Worry not, as there is a blockbuster clash lined up next. Two-time champions, West Indies, are taking on another two-time champions England at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. That match is about to start at 1.30 pm GMT and England have opted to BOWL first. You can switch tabs and tune in to our coverage of that clash. Cheers!

The captain of Australia - Travis Head says that he is satisfied with his team's performance and happy with the win. Continues that both departments did their job and he feels that is the reason behind their success today. He feels that Matt Renshaw's and Marcus Stoinis' partnership was important in the first inning and in the second inning, Adam Zampa and Nathan Ellis did really well to pick the wickets and he also hopes that they carry forward this momentum further in the campaign. He also shares his views on adapting to challenging conditions. He says that the conditions were a bit tricky today but their middle order handled the pressure. Ends up saying they are really having fun as everyone is enjoying each other's company which is uplifting the mood in the dressing room.

The stand-in skipper for Ireland - Lorcan Tucker says Paul Stirling took a knock on his knee while trying to take that catch in the first innings. Says it was brave of him to go out there in the second innings, but unfortunately, he couldn't continue. Shares that they talked about the surface, but they didn't start the way they would have liked with the bat and credits the way Australia bowled in the Powerplay. Feels that 150-160 was in their mind but Australia got more than that. Acknowledges that there's plenty that can happen, and they'll keep on fighting.

Let's now hear from the two captains...

Player of the Match - Nathan Ellis gets the acknowledgement for his brilliant figures of 3.5-1-12-4. Ellis starts off by saying that playing in Sri Lanka is about adapting to the pitch conditions, which can be unpredictable. He has played a few times and knows the surfaces can vary, but he was prepared to adapt on the fly. Ellis jokes about bringing down the average height of the team with Australia's senior fast bowlers absent (the likes of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, who are all well above 6 feet), but he's confident in the team's abilities. He highlights the good combinations they've built with players like Xavier Bartlett, and the planning they've done gives them confidence to perform strongly. He further explains that he adjusted his bowling strategy based on the conditions, deciding to bowl slower balls after watching the first few overs. He focuses on varying ball speed while keeping arm speed consistent, which he believes is key to effective bowling on pitches like these. Ellis ends by praising Adam Zampa's performance, saying he's one of the best in the world and will play a huge role in the tournament.

Crumbling under pressure - We have seen what Ireland are capable of but somehow, against the bigger teams, on the biggest stage, they seem to falter. It was a decent bowling performance from them but the underutilization of the pace-off deliveries at the death cost them a bit. The spinners were solid in general and Mark Adair picked up a couple of wickets, but he was very expensive. The batting performance left a lot to be desired. Paul Stirling had to hobble back after the very first ball, probably pulling a hamstring, and then the top order batters just gifted wickets away. Lorcan Tucker showed a bit of resilience and then their 'crisis man,' George Dockrell, stepped up and played a valiant knock of 41 off just 29 balls but it was never going to be enough.

Sparks of brilliance - The Aussies didn't have the best start, with Mitchell Marsh ruled out of this game and they did seem a bit undercooked with the bat, even after a rapid start. Josh Inglis was the aggressor with his innings of 37 from just 17 balls. There were contributions throughout the middle order with Matt Renshaw making an anchoring 37 (33 balls) and then Marcus Stoinis playing a fiery knock of 45 (29 balls). With the ball, it was carnage from the Aussies as Nathan Ellis and Adam Zampa ripped through the Irish lineup. The duo picked up four wickets each but it was Ellis, who really did the damage in the early overs, that set things up wonderfully. Matthew Kuhnemann was the other wicket-taker but Xavier Bartlett was a bit off color and surely, the Aussies will want to tighten things up heading into the next game.

Dominant start from the 2021 Champions - Australia have kicked off their 2026 Men's T20 World Cup campaign with a straightforward win against Ireland. Their bowlers have done a fine job here but one feels that Ireland self-imploded with the bat to an extent as well.

Paul Stirling has not recovered from the injury suffered and won't be able to participate any more with the bat. As it stands, Paul Stirling is retired out.

OUT! TAKEN! It's all over for Ireland as Paul Stirling won't come out to bat. Nathan Ellis ends with a four-fer. Nicely bowled again. Drags his length back and bowls it around off, probably the back-of-the-hand delivery. Barry McCarthy forces it across the line but fails to power. Cameron Green at deep mid-wicket takes a simple catch. Australia open their account with a comfortable win. They win by 67 runs.

Pitches it on the 8-meter length and outside off, Humphreys swipes across the line and to deep square leg for one.

Slightly short and touch wide, Barry McCarthy strokes it through covers for a run.

On a nagging length and around off, nipping in. Barry McCarthy hangs inside his crease as he punches it to cover.

Serves in a yorker-length delivery on middle, Humphreys squeezes it out to long on for a run.

Flatter trajectory on middle, Matthew Humphreys works it to deep mid-wicket for a single to end the over.

Josh Inglis is super excited as he appeals for a caught behind. The umpire shakes his head but Travis Head challenges the decision. This is a length delivery on leg and turning into the batter. Matthew Humphreys steps inside the line and tries to paddle it but seems to miss it. The UltraEdge loads and shows a flatline. NOT OUT, it remains.

The next batter in is Matthew Humphreys. Is he the last man to walk out? Or will we see Paul Stirling again if another wicket falls?

OUT! TAKEN! 'Catch it' is the call from Josh Inglis and Connolly does the job. A wrong 'un, attacking the stumps and on a length. Adair clears his front leg and moves back to pull but top edges it to deep mid-wicket. High in the night sky and in the hands of Cooper Connolly in the deep. A simple catch for the fielder.

Serves it full and outside off, a googly. Barry McCarthy drills it past Zampa and to long on for a single.

End of a defiant knock from George Dockrell and in walks the next batter. Barry McCarthy is the new batter for Ireland.