Australia captain Tim Paine believes his side should have been able to chase down England’s huge total in the second ODI as his side slipped to a 39-run defeat in Cardiff.
Paine’s men must now win at Trent Bridge on Tuesday to have any chance of success in the five-match series after another failure from the top order cost the team dearly.
The hosts set Australia a record target of 343 after Paine won the toss and elected to field with Jason Roy scoring a fine century and Jos Buttler a swashbuckling 91.
In response, the tourists were bowled out for 304 despite a magnificent 131 from Shaun Marsh – his first ODI ton since 2013 – and highest score against a Test nation.
The 33-year-old put on 96 for the sixth wicket with Ashton Agar, but the departure of the all-rounder for 46 ended any slim hopes of victory.
“We would obviously liked to have restricted them to less runs, but the way Shaun Marsh batted showed we could have chased them down,” Paine told Sky Sports.
“We just didn’t have anyone go with him until Ashton came out there and got us back into the game.”
Marsh received little assistance from the tail with the last four wickets falling for 11 runs and his fine innings was ended when he cleaned up by Liam Plunkett, who finished with four wickets.
The defeat means the world champions have now won only two of their last 15 ODIs on a day where England’s powerful batting line-up dominated an inexperienced Australia attack.
Two changes were made to the side that lost at The Oval last Wednesday with Billy Stanlake – the pick of the bowlers in the three-wicket loss in south London – ruled out with a toe injury.
Despite such a dreadful day for the bowlers, Paine maintains that the team are good enough to beat England and can take confidence from the way Marsh batted and the team bowled in the first match.
“I think we can (win) I really do,” he said.
“I think our best cricket is good enough to beat these guys we just haven’t put the complete package together.
“In the first game we didn’t bat well and today we didn’t bowl as well as we would have liked.
“It would nice to have a few more wickets there when Shaun got going.
“But it can be hard with the tail but I thought Ashton played superbly and gave us a chance but unfortunately we couldn’t get over the line.”
Australia got off to a poor start with the bat, as Travis Head fell for 18 with Alex Hales taking a fine diving catch.
Debutant D’Arcy Short followed for 21, with Marcus Stoinis chopping on to Plunkett for nine and Aaron Finch trapped lbw by Adil Rashid without scoring to leave Australia in a hole at 4-110.
Marsh was the eighth man out when he was clean bowled by Liam Plunkett, who finished with four wickets.
The innings of Buttler, who skippered England in place of the injured Eoin Morgan (back) was highlighted by two audacious ramp shots for successive sixes off the bowling of Jhye Richardson.
AJ Tye brought Roy’s innings to an end when a blood-stained Paine took a superb diving catch, shortly after being hit when a slower delivery from the West Australian bounced off the turf and struck him on the nose.