Australia and England face completely different levels of jeopardy

Big image: Can England spoil Australia’s semi-final push?

Suffice to say, this isn’t the event it was earmarked to be. England versus Australia on the back-end of the group phases, on the most grandiloquent venue that this World Cup can supply. This was supposed, on the very least, to be a shoot-out for the semi-finals, and perhaps even a gown rehearsal for a but extra important showdown at this identical venue additional down the road.

And lengthy, way back, when Australia had been the group sitting rock-bottom of the World Cup standings after back-to-back losses to South Africa and India, England would possibly even have assumed that this might be their alternative to land the ultimate smackdown on their oldest foes.

How the worm has turned since then. Australia have gone on to win 4 from 4, whereas it is England who’ve spent the previous fortnight circling the drain. Somehow, they go into this contest with a 0.4% likelihood of reaching the knock-outs – however the truth that they are not useless but regardless of 5 losses in six solely goes to indicate how loaded in direction of the established groups this format actually is.

As for Australia, it will not be fully plain-sailing into the semis in the event that they drop the ball now. A pumped-up Afghanistan lie in wait of their subsequent spherical (and so they look set to be stage on factors by the tip of their ongoing conflict with the Netherlands) whereas a late-charging Pakistan supply one other surprising top-four problem, albeit their very own conflict with fourth-placed New Zealand will imply two factors dropped by one rival or the opposite.

Very completely different levels of jeopardy are at play subsequently, however as tends to be the case in Anglo-Australian World Cup clashes, the speedy match context is bound to be rolled into the broader, wilder, narrative of an historic and implacable rivalry.

In David Warner and the fit-again Travis Head, Australia nonetheless boast a pair of openers with thrice as many centuries as England’s whole line-up has contributed throughout six matches – and the arrogance that they may have the ability to venture within the powerplay may but be essential.

England, nonetheless, will enter this match with judgement swirling round their misfiring troops – and David Willey’s impending worldwide retirement is a reminder, too, that phases similar to these do not current themselves endlessly within the cut-throat world {of professional} sport. There’s no time like the current, subsequently, for the still-just-about-reigning World Champions to serve a reminder of their capability. Especially if, within the course of, they will make their arch-opponents’ progress that little bit much less serene.

Form information: Australia on a sizzling streak, England much less so

Australia WWWWL (final 5 accomplished ODIs, most up-to-date first)
England LLLLW

In the highlight: Joe Root and Adam Zampa

Team news: Maxwell, Marsh out for Australia

There may be temptation for England to look to the longer term, and provides alternatives to a number of the gamers extra prone to function within the post-World Cup rebuild – most notably their Under-30 pairing of Harry Brook and Gus Atkinson, who has been handed match regardless of carrying a forged on his little finger following a blow throughout coaching on Thursday. But that will require some assertion omissions from the prevailing XI, and the sense within the build-up is that the gamers who obtained England into this mess will likely be given an opportunity, for now, to atone for his or her shortcomings. Brydon Carse, Reece Topley’s substitute, is ready within the wings, however Mark Wood – three-year contract and all – is simply as prone to be unleashed as soon as extra with Ashes-style orders to “bowl rockets”.

England (possible): 1 Jonny Bairstow, 2 Dawid Malan, 3 Joe Root, 4 Ben Stokes, 5 Jos Buttler (capt, wk), 6 Moeen Ali / Harry Brook, 7 Liam Livingstone, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 David Willey, 10 Mark Wood, 11 Adil Rashid

Australia (possible): 1 David Warner, 2 Travis Head, 3 Steven Smith, 4 Marnus Labuschagne, 5 Josh Inglis (wk), 6 Marcus Stoinis, 7 Cameron Green, 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh Hazlewood

Pitch and circumstances: The purple or the black?

Stats and trivia: Buttler closing in on 5000

Quotes

“That was a couple of months ago. It’s done: it’s a new game, new tournament. But I always think a healthy amount of rivalry is good – especially our playing group. We’re quite a chilled, calm group, so when we get a little bit more fired up, I actually don’t think it’s too bad a thing.”
Pat Cummins says Australia have moved on from the Ashes.

“It’s just been a disaster, and there’s no point sugarcoating it because it’s probably what you’re all going to write anyway – and it’s true.”
Ben Stokes tells the media that their evaluation of England’s World Cup marketing campaign is spot on.