ENG vs AUS: David Warner feels rotating strike is important in middle overs

Australia opening batsman David Warner said that the team has to focus on 'rotating strike and hitting boundaries' in the middle overs after a two-run defeat in the first T20I against England at Ageas Bowl.

Chasing 163, Australia had a brilliant start as skipper Aaron Finch and Warner added 98 runs in 11 overs before the former was caught off Jofra Archer. Finch made 46-runs off 32 balls.

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Despite the solid opening stand, the visitors failed to chase the target as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals.

Australia required 39 runs from the last six overs with nine wickets in hand but a late comeback by the English bowlers provided them a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. In the last over, Australia needed 15 runs to win the match but could only score 12 runs off Tom Curran.

The momentum shifted in England's favour in the 15th over bowled by Rashid. He sent back Steve Smith (18) and then dismissed Glenn Maxwell (1) four balls later.

"I think we just have to try to be a little bit smarter and work out how we're going to hit our boundaries. We have to try to keep rotating strike and keep finding the boundary in those middle overs," ESPNcricinfo quoted Warner as saying.

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Finch also echoed Warner's sentiments and said the team needs to work on their middle overs scoring.

"We just struggled to find the boundary a bit in that 12-18 over mark. That is something to keep working on and that's not the first time it's happened, so as long as the boys keep learning and improve at it, lesson learned," Finch said.

"There was plenty of stuff to be positive about. If you can separate the result and just look at it at individual points, I think there was some great stuff. Obviously it would have been ideal to get over the line, but England are a bloody good side," he added.

The second T20I will be played on Sunday, September 6.