England is set to host Australia in the first match of the 5-match ODI series at the Oval, London tomorrow. The match is going to see a great struggle between both the team as England is the present top-ranked ODI team while Australia is the former world cup champion.
The competition between both the teams is always seen during the Ashes tournament and this series is too expected to show the same. The five ODI match series will see great efforts from both the teams to prove themselves, as England is the top ranked team they will be under pressure to maintain their standards during the series. On the other hand, Australian side is short of Steve Smith and David Warner and will try to show its power without the two great players.
England, who lost to Scotland in the previous match, will have an upper hand due to absence of Smith and Warner in Australian squad and also because they have the home advantage. Since losing to Pakistan in the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017, England has won 11 out of their 16 ODI’s, and have registered convincing victories over West indies, Australia and New Zealand in the past. England’s bowling attack lacks the support of Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes, both of whom are injured. The team’s batting will be boosted by the return of Jos Buttler, who was rested for the Scotland match. The addition of Jason Roy, Alex Hales, Joe Root, Morgan and Buttler will also be helpful for the team.
On the other hand, Australia will feel the need of Steve Smith and David Warner for sure, and they may face difficulties in facing England. But taking note of the Scotland’s victory, Australia may definitely seek to find the loopholes in the English team to bag the victory. For Australia, this series is an opportunity of test, as it is the first international series after the infamous ball tempering incident. The team has undergone big changes, from the captain to the head coach to the opening batsmen, and the team also lacks the power of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins in the bowling department.
Click here for the Live scorecard and match commentary of England and Australia.