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England and Australia are currently facing off in a five-match ODI series where they decimated the tourists to seal the series 3-0. In an imperious display of strength, the English batsmen pummelled Australia at Nottingham to register the highest ever total in ODI cricket history- 481.
They went on to defeat the Aussies by a margin of 242 runs, a record in itself- Australia’s highest defeat margin in ODI’s. England who is now the No. 1 side in ODI cricket is showing the world why they deserve to be at the top.
Australia on the other hand, look completely lost and is searching for answers to change their fortunes. The No.6 ranked ODI side needs to shed off some pretty poor ODI cricket in order to be in a strong position to defend their world cup title next year.
With a weakened side, Australia hasn’t had a tour to remember so far in England. Their batsmen haven’t stepped up, their bowlers lack variety, quality and the experience to test this dominant English side on their home turf.
England, on the other hand, has clicked on all fronts. When their bowling hasn’t quiet delivered as expected, their batting has made up for it. They came together in the series winning performance at Nottingham, Trent Bridge.
Both the teams will face off against each other in a one-off T20I at Edgbaston, Birmingham on June 27th, 2018. Here’s looking at why England will be favourites to defeat Australia:
#1 The team looks well balanced and has all bases covered
England is a very well balanced outfit. Their resurgence in the limited overs formats of the game post the ICC World Cup in 2015 has been phenomenal. The new breed of cricketers coming through are playing a brand of cricket which is different from previous English sides.
It’s this positive attitude coupled with the overall balance in their squad which makes them so powerful. Also, this English side has got the balance which makes them even more potent. They are without Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes and that hasn’t affected the performance of their team.
This batting line-up is amongst the most destructive batting line-up England has produced in a long time. With the return to form of Alex Hales, things look ominous for Australia who are already struggling to strike and make an impact on this tour.
With the likes of Moen Ali and Adil Rashid dominating the Aussies, the bowling attack looks solid.
The likes of Mark Wood, David Willey and Liam Plunkett provide the necessary potency and variety which this Australian bowling attack doesn’t have.
On a whole, this balanced, settled team will be looking to carry forward their positive momentum and end the series against Australia on a dominating note.
#2 The inclusion of Joe Root in the T20I side adds to Australia’s woes
Australia is getting a thrashing at the hands of Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Hales, Eoin Morgan and Joe Root in the ODI series. They will be not let off too easily in the one-off T20I.
England are going into the T20I with a full-strength squad including Joe Root. Root hasn’t been part of the T20 squad for a while now. His inclusion into this side further bolsters this English side.
The devastation this batting line up could cause is a frightening prospect for the Aussies. Their strike bowler Andrew Tye who came into the ODI series after a fantastic IPL season for Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) has been disappointing thus far. A change in format to T20s is probably where he may find form on this tour.
Australia also would have Mitchell Swepson, the leg-spinner who offers the much-needed variety this bowling line-up lacks. They need a way to stop the inform English batting line-up from putting another strong, commanding performance.
Root who has captained his side in this format earlier comes into this one off T20I having played 25 T20I’s with an average of 39.11 with a strike rate of 127.88. One of the reasons he stepped down as captain was his inability to score quickly in the T20 format.
It is surprising that England decided to pick Joe Root instead of a T20 specialist Sam Billings who has featured in the IPL. But keeping his experience, talent and the value he needs as a player it certainly isn’t surprising that Joe Root has been given a look in again.
#3 The presence of the fearless, destructive finisher- Jos Buttler
England has the best finisher in recent times at their disposal- Jos Buttler. MS Dhoni ‘The Finisher’ seemed to be finished but he bounced back with a fantastic IPL season for Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Undoubtedly currently in modern day ODI and T20 cricket, oppositions would be wary of Buttler’s finishing skills.
The devastation he can cause to any bowling attack is very evident with his performances for England in recent times. His usual style which involves a lot of wrist work is a treat to watch. He’s among the most pleasing batsman to watch when in full flow, also he is equally effective against the fast bowlers and spinners.
It took a while for England and other teams like the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the IPL to realize that Jos Buttler, especially in T20s, can be pushed up the order. As given the license and the luxury of more deliveries to face, he becomes even more destructive.
Post his exploits in the recently concluded IPL, England would sure want to push him up the batting order. It all depends on the match situation as well whether to play him higher in the order. With the inclusion of Root in the team, Buttler would most certainly be used in the role of a finisher.
Australia’s bowling lacks the competitive streak and potency to trouble this English batting line up. This is clearly evident from the ongoing ODI series where Australia are struggling to compete and strike with their bowling attack.
Considering that their team would stay the same barring the inclusion of Swepson, it’s fair to say the advantage is in England’s hands and it’s their game to lose rather than Australia’s to win going by recent form and the players in each team, not to forget the momentum factor as well.
Who do you think will win the one-off T20 between England and Australia? Sound off your opinions in the comments section below!
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