Australian skipper Pat Cummins won the toss and elected to bowl. England got off to a terrible start as Cummins and Mitchell Starc breathed fire with the new ball. The Brits were reduced to 31/3, and the onus was on Malan, who came in to bat at number three.
Malan's 134 is the fifth-highest ODI score by an England batter on Australian soil. Jason Roy (180), David Gower (158), Ian Bell (141), and Jonathan Trott (137) occupy the top four spots. Notably, Malan also brought up his highest score in the format.