T20 World Cup: Australia's sloppy performance gives England anxious moments before defeating Scotland in a challenging chase.

Tactics and mind games continue to swirl around the Australian dressing room. Four days ago, pacer Josh Hazlewood cheekily hinted at knocking defending champions England out of the T20 World Cup by taking a slightly casual approach in their final Group B clash against Scotland, who were also vying for a Super 8 berth.

“We’ve had some real struggles against them in T20 cricket, so if we can get them out of the tournament, that’s in our best interest as well as probably everyone else,” Hazlewood remarked after Australia crushed Namibia to seal their progress, leaving England and Scotland to fight for the remaining spot.

Hazlewood’s comments struck a nerve, prompting the English media to highlight the potential consequences if Australia were to slip up against an Associate nation for the first time since the 1983 World Cup. Teammate Pat Cummins stepped in to clear the air ahead of the final group-stage match in St. Lucia, suggesting net run rate quirks would not change their approach against Scotland.

However, for a while, it seemed they might. A determined Scottish side fought toe to toe with Australia with qualification on the line. Coupled with six dropped catches, Mitchell Marsh’s men offered plenty of material for creative minds.

The proceedings may have set a few English hearts jangling, 350 kilometres north in Antigua. After a frustrating rain spell, England thwarted Namibia earlier on Sunday to do their bit but needed a gentle push from the Aussies to secure a Super 8 spot on NRR. They weren’t disappointed in the end. Australia scraped through with a five-wicket win after a stiff chase, teasing the English along the way. Hazlewood may have chuckled after prompting extra interest in the game with his remark.