ENG vs AUS Match Preview

Any England-Australia parallel never fails to keep the excitement going until the final game. The situation is similar yet again. After losing the first game, England completed a thrilling chase at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff to level the score at 1-1. The series decider will be played on September 15th at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester beginning at 7 p.m. However, the way Matthew Short and Travis Head conducted themselves in Southampton demonstrated that Australia is serious about this series, and they will be aiming for a 3-0 win at this point.

ENG vs AUS Match Details

England vs Australia – 3rd Match, T20I Match

Venue: Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, United Kingdom

Date & Time: 15th September 2024 at 07:00 PM IST 

Live Streaming: Disney+Hotstar

ENG vs AUS Venue Stats

ENG vs AUS Pitch Report

Despite the bowlers dominating and the batters struggling, Australia demonstrated the quality of the batting surface at the Stadium game.

ENG vs AUS Weather Report

The conditions are expected to be very similar to what we saw in the first two games, with sunshine throughout and temperatures in the mid-twenties from start to finish.

ENG vs AUS Last Five Matches

ENG vs AUS Head-to-Head Stats

Injury News

No Injury. Will be added when there is an update.

Also Read: England Test captain Ben Stokes returns for Pakistan tour

ENG vs AUS Probable Playing XIs:

Australia Probable Playing XIs

Matthew Short, Travis Head (c), Jake Fraser-McGurk, Josh Inglis (wk), Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Cooper Connolly, Sean Abbott, Adam Zampa

England Probable Playing XIs

Philip Salt (c & wk), Will Jacks, Jordan Cox, Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Sam Curran, Jamie Overton, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood, Reece Topley

Topmost Picks for ENG vs AUS Dream11 Prediction:

Top Picks – England

• Liam Livingstone – Livingstone is the leading run-scorer of the series with 124 runs at a strike rate of 167.56. The all-rounder is also the leading wicket-taker with 5 wickets in two games at an economy of 7.60.
• Jofra Archer – Archer is the leading wicket-taker for England this year with  15 wickets in 11 games at an economy of 7.43.

Top Picks – Australia

• Travis Head – Head has 90 runs in two games with the highest strike rate of 243.34 in the series.
• Sean Abbott – Sean Abbott has an excellent T20 record in this country after strong stints with Surrey in the T20 Blast. 

Suggested Playing XI N0.1 for ENG vs AUS Dream11 Team:

Phil Salt(VC), Liam Livingstone, Travis Head(C), Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Short, Cameron Green, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Adam Zampa, Jofra Archer, Josh Hazlewood

Suggested Playing XI N0.2 for ENG vs AUS Dream11 Team:

Phil Salt, Josh Inglis, Liam Livingstone(C), Travis Head, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Short(VC), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Sean Abbott, Jofra Archer, Josh Hazlewood

Captain and Vice-Captain Options:

Captain – Travis Head, Liam Livingstone

Vice-captain – Phil Salt, Matthew Short

Wicketkeeper – Phil Salt

ENG vs AUS Probable Winners:

The hosts made a well-deserved comeback in the second game, keeping the series alive. Liam Livingstone is in good form, having scored 124 runs and taken five wickets. The injuries have caused headaches for the Australian team. With key bowlers absent, England's lead has grown. They also have four wins in their last six games against Australia. Considering the team combination, Australia is expected to win this match.

AUS vs ENG Match Preview

England and Australia go head to head in Match 36 of the Cricket World Cup on Saturday in the third last group stage game for both sides. It has been a remarkably disappointing campaign for England who came into the tournament as the 2019 Cricket World Cup and 2023 T20 World Cup holders but are currently bottom of the table with only two points from six games. England have been very poor in this 2023 Cricket World Cup but they never need motivation for a fixture against Australia in any format. Australia had a poor start to the tournament but have been getting better and better over recent matches and won a closely fought high-scoring contest in their last match. However, with two of their first-choice players out of this game, this will be a tough fixture.

AUS vs ENG Match Details

Australia vs England– 36th Match

Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium – Ahmedabad

Date & Time: 04th November 2023 at 02:00 PM IST 

Live Streaming: Disney+ Hotstar

AUS vs ENG Venue Stats

AUS vs ENG Pitch Report

We can expect a high-scoring game as both the sides are equipped with top class batters. Fast bowlers can try to get some wickets with good line and length. The 1st innings average score is around 285. The par score will be above 300.

AUS vs ENG Weather Report

According to the forecast, it will be sunny with cloudy spells and a top temperature of 32 degrees in Ahmedabad on Saturday. No rain will fall across the match.

AUS vs ENG Last Five Matches

AUS vs ENG Head-to-Head Stats

Injury News

No Injury. Will be added when there is an update.

AUS vs ENG Probable Playing XIs:

Australia Probable Playing XIs

Mitchell Marsh, David Warner, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (c), Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

England Probable Playing XIs

Johnny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, Joe Root, Ben Stokes/Harry Brook, Jos Buttler (c) (wk), Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone, Chris Woakes, David Willey, Adil Rashid, Gus Atkinson/Mark Wood

Topmost Picks for AUS vs ENG Dream11 Prediction:

Top Picks – Australia

• David Warner – Ahead of Friday’s game, the left-handed opener was one of only five batters to have hit over 400 runs in the tournament so far. He scored five fours and six sixes against New Zealand.
• Pat Cummins – The skipper was not only the most economical bowler in the attack on Saturday but also picked up another 2 wickets and has 8 dismissals in the competition.

Top Picks – England

• Dawid Malan – The left-handed top order batter has scored six hundreds and five half-centuries from his 27 ODI innings and hit 140 against Bangladesh in Match 7 of this tournament.
• Adil Rashid – The 36 year old dismissed both Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja in the last game and has now taken 2+ wickets in three of the last four matches.

After just over 4000 fans attended the recent final One-Day International (ODI) match between Australia and England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Australia’s legendary pace bowler Glenn McGrath expressed concern regarding the future of the 50-over format. Even though the Australians had already won the series, the massive MCG stadium, which has a lot of seats, has always had a lot of people there. Mcgrath is even more concerned by the fact that the most recent T20 World Cup final was attended by 80,462 fans at the same location. 

The ODI format’s future is in jeopardy as a result of the growth of the T20 format and a desire to preserve the class of the Test format. Already, numerous well-known cricketers are opting out of the format.Britain Test commander Ben Stirs up arose as the new huge name to call time on his ODI profession.

“It was so disappointing to see crowds like that, ODIs are really under the pump at the moment. Melbourne is classed as the sporting capital of Australia, if not the world, they absolutely love their sport. So for them to turn out in the numbers they did speaks volumes about where we’re at,”

told Mcgrath as quoted by Cricket 365 while speaking on the future of the format.  

I would still put the ODI World Cup as more important than the T20: Glenn Mcgrath 

Glenn Mcgrath went on to pick the scheduling as one of the reasons for the concerns over the 50-over format and explained how every format needs due respect.  

“The international schedule is tough enough. I think they have to respect every series and every game, it has to mean something.”

he said.

While recalling his experiences at the ODI World Cup, he went on to discuss the significance of preventing the 50-over format from stagnating and expressed his hope that it would regain its fans.

ALSO READ: Bangladesh’s 3 most memorable Test wins

“We’ve got to protect the game. T20 cricket is always growing, it’s fast, quick, and exciting and Test cricket really is the ultimate. I think those two formats will stand the test of time. I do hope ODI cricket carries on, I’ve got a lot of great memories of it and I would still put the ODI World Cup as more important than the T20. But the format is under the pump and we need to look at how we keep people coming to these games.”

Mcgrath concluded.

AUS vs ENG, 3rd ODI: In the third and final one-day international on Tuesday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia defeated a worn-out England by 221 runs to win the series 3-0. Travis Head and David Warner scored dominant centuries. England’s lengthy tour came to an end with a crushing defeat at the same venue where they won the Twenty20 World Cup earlier this month, after losing by six wickets in Adelaide and by 72 runs in Sydney. 

In a rain-shortened game reduced to 48 overs, Australia made a formidable 355-5 on the back of Head’s 152 and Warner’s 106

Their 269-run partnership was the ninth highest in 50-over cricket and the largest at the MCG. England needed 364 runs to win under a DLS-adjusted target, which they never seemed to get against a disciplined attack led by Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and spinner Adam Zampa. The match was likewise observer to an intriguing occurrence. England’s Olly Stone (4/85) bowled at Steve Smith with Australia on 324-3 after 45.2.Against the short ball, Smith endeavoured an incline scoop. As the ball got to Jos Buttler, the wicketkeeper, there was a faint edge. 

However, Smith did not walk because Paul Wilson, the umpire, did not buzz. Buttler uttered “howzzat?” After deliberating for some time before selecting the DRS. Smith was immediately ruled out as caught behind at this point by Wilson. Regarding the match, Dawid Malan was promoted to open for England alongside Jason Roy, but he was run out for two by Hazlewood. Phil Salt was sidelined for a concussion test after hitting his head while fielding. The batsmen were held to just 49-1 in the first ten overs, well below the required run rate. 

It didn’t get any easier for them. Roy was bowled out for 33 by Cummins, and Sam Billings was bowled out for seven by Cummins. James Vince hit 22 of 45 balls before Sean Abbott overcame his resistance. At the point when Zampa eliminated captain Jos Buttler (4) and Chris Woakes in progressive balls, then, at that point, Moeen Ali (18) in his next over, Britain were 95-7 and their expectations over. Zampa went 4-31 at the end.

“We tried our best, fell a long way short. Australia outplayed us in every department, But lots to be proud of. You don’t need long memories to remember the scenes here last week,”

said Buttler of the World Cup victory.

After missing the Sydney match, Buttler returned and won the toss, asking Australia to bat, only to be met with an exhibition from Head and Warner. Head solidified his position at the top of the order after Aaron Finch retired with his third one-day century and highest score, scoring off 130 balls with 16 fours and four sixes.

Head survived a missed catch on number four and was given out lbw on number nine, which he successfully challenged, in overcast and cool conditions. But as he and Warner took full control, he settled down, resulting in their second 100-run partnership in three games.

Rain stopped play for 30 minutes, but the two teams resumed where they left off, with Head rushing to his century and Chris Woakes scoring a four to reach the mark. Soon after, Warner crushed Olly Stone to the ropes and scored his 19th ODI ton.

ALSO READ: Martin Guptill released from NZ contract

The persistent Stone finally ended the partnership, taking Warner and Head in the same over and ending with 4-85 after taking out Steve Smith for 21 and Mitchell Marsh for 30.

AUS vs ENG, 2nd ODI: Australia 280 for 8 (Smith 94, Labuschagne 58, Marsh 50, Rashid 3-57) beat England 208 all out (Billings 71, Zampa 4-45, Starc 4-47)

In Australia’s 72-run victory in Sydney on Josh Hazlewood’s captaincy debut, Steven Smith continued his prolific ODI form, Mitchell Starc demonstrated his first-over prowess, and Adam Zampa scuttled England’s middle order. Smith’s 94 off 114 balls was the most important part of Australia’s innings, along with Marnus Labuschagne’s fluent half-century and Mitchell Marsh’s more laborious effort. England never totally let go completely with the ball, generally because of Adil Rashid’s three wickets, yet a total of 280 felt exceptionally cutthroat on a surface that was not totally simple for scoring. 

After just five balls of England’s chase, when Starc had two wickets to his name, the target appeared much more intimidating. 

Starc produced a quick outswing to firstly beat Dawid Malan twice and then take out the off stump with an unplayable delivery after Jason Roy gloved down the leg side second ball. Malan intended to play with an open face to the leg side, but the ball shaped late and at a rapid pace to beat the edge after he had scored a fine century two days earlier. Another strong response to Roy’s absence late in the T20 World Cup came in the form of Starc’s wicked delivery to bowl him out in Adelaide. At the point when Phil Salt was tidied up by Hazlewood for a counterpunching 23, England were 34 for 3 in the 6th over and at risk of falling endlessly. 

However, in a fourth-wicket stand of 122 in 22 overs that put England back in a position where the target was attainable, James Vince and Sam Billings, who took Ashton Agar for consecutive sixes, constructed excellent fifties. When Hazlewood won the toss before the game, it came as a surprise that Pat Cummins was rested one match into his captaincy tenure.With Moeen Ali also leading England for the first time in ODIs and Jos Buttler taking a well-deserved break, it was a case of change on every level. After Rashid brought Australia back with two wickets in two balls, Smith and Labuschagne added 101 for the third wicket in 19 overs, and Smith and Marsh added 90 for the fifth wicket. 

Smith moved into the 90s with a flick for six over backward square leg against Sam Curran, but he was not as fluent as he was two days ago in Adelaide, when he said it was the best he had felt at the crease in six years. Notwithstanding, endeavoring to arrive at his 100 years with one more six he selected long-off against Rashid in the 44th over.Australia’s openers had made a lively beginning before Moeen hit with his second ball when David Warner cleared to square leg. 

Three overs later, Travis Head failed to hit a pull shot to midwicket against Chris Woakes, leaving Australia 43 for 2. Compared to Smith, who scored his first boundary off the 14th ball but did not add another until the 65th when he clubbed David Willey over the leg side, Labuschagne got off to a good start by skipping down the field to Moeen and lifting him over wide mid-on. When Labuschagne toe-ended a sweep that looped to mid-off against Rashid, he was furious with himself and hit a perfect fifty off 47 balls, which proved to be the most fluent batting of the innings. 

ALSO READ: After Chetan Sharma, IND fans want Rohit to be sacked too

When Alex Carey played over the top of a sweep on the next ball, Rashid struck once more, and Billings removed the bails quickly with Carey’s foot on the line. The hat-trick delivery was misdirected into Marsh’s pads, and the pair, along with Smith, rebuilt to provide Australia with a foundation for the final ten overs, but they were unable to fully capitalize. Marsh, in place of the rested Cameron Green who had returned to Perth prior to the Test summer, brought up a 58-ball fifty, but he was unable to quite move through the gears. Marcus Stoinis couldn’t get going in a 14-ball 13 before missing a swing at Woakes. But in the end, Australia’s most recent ODI captains won their first series with more than enough.

AUS vs ENG, 1st ODI: Australia 291 for 4 (Warner 86, Smith 80*, Head 69, Willey 2-51) beat England 287 for 9 (Malan 134, Willey 34*, Zampa 3-55, Cummins 3-62) by six wickets

Australia’s top-order ravaged an unpractised England assault to observe Pat Cummins’ first coordinate as ODI captain with an agreeable six-wicket triumph in the series opener in Adelaide.

David Warner, Travis Head, and Steven Smith all scored half-centuries as Australia chased 288 with 19 balls remaining, following Dawid Malan’s impressive 134-run stand. Australia’s chase for a 147-run opening stand from Warner and Head, who made an impressive return to the role vacated by retired Aaron Finch, was never in danger on the flat Adelaide Oval pitch under lights. 

On the ground where they posted Australia’s ODI record opening stand of 284 against Pakistan in January 2017, Warner and Head took advantage of wide deliveries and the short square boundaries. Head increased his growing reputation against the new ball in front of his home fans. Head had started the match with an average of 50.07 from 15 ODI innings as an opener. In the 20th over, he holed out for 69 off 57 balls, missing out on a third ODI century. 

Smith, who was on the fringe for most of the T20 World Cup, showed that he can play 50-over cricket with perfectly timed strokes that put him at No. 3. Before Warner was caught on the boundary off David Willey, England’s most experienced bowler in his 61st ODI, he looked like he was on track for his 19th century. Warner had played 84 balls before his innings was over. 

Willey then picked up Marnus Labuschagne cheaply to give England hope again, but Smith shut the door as Australia won the first match of the three-match series. Smith had recently improved his technique by not shuffling across the crease. Olly Stone, a fast bowler, started well in his first ODI in four years. His first ten deliveries all produced dots marked by sharp pace around 145 km/hr. However, Warner and Head took control, and he was unable to break through. 

Luke Wood, a left-armer making his ODI debut, struggled to find the right line in the 26th over, when Smith strode him for three boundaries. Even though only captain Jos Buttler, Phil Salt, and Chris Jordan were in the XI that faced Pakistan in the final at the MCG, a new England team had to refocus just four days after winning the T20 World Cup. This may have resulted in a sluggish performance, but Jos Buttler, Phil Salt, and Chris Jordan were the only members of the XI. Before Malan’s second ODI century lifted England to what appeared to be a competitive total after being sent in, England had fallen to 66 for 4. 

After missing England’s T20 World Cup title-winning team due to a groin injury, he made a compelling case for a permanent spot in the 50-over team and gave his own spirits a timely boost. Malan reverted to T20 mode against Cummins with two brutal sixes on the leg side, and he countered leg spinner Adam Zampa with belligerent slog sweeps in the middle overs. Malan was especially aggressive. Buttler made 29 and delivered lusty blows that were reminiscent of his heroics against India a week earlier at the same venue, but Malan received little support from Willey, who scored the next highest score with an unbeaten 34.

Cummins made a strong start to his ODI captaincy by taking wickets of Salt and James Vince in a probing new ball spell in front of a small crowd at the Adelaide Oval. After being controversially dropped against Afghanistan in the T20 World Cup, he worked exceptionally well with Mitchell Starc, who bowled sharply to get through opener Jason Roy with a cracker of a delivery in his return with the new ball.

ALSO READ: IND vs NZ’22: ‘Bat fearlessly’- Interim coach Laxman to Pandya’s team

Even though their opponents could have been excused for going through the motions, Australia’s fielding was vigorous, highlighted by several excellent efforts from Ashton Agar, to begin Cummins’ ODI captaincy on a strong note.

T20 World Cup’22, ENG vs AUS: In what is being billed as an epic battle, arch-enemies Australia and England will square off against one another. Both of these teams have a long history in cricket, and the river is more than 100 years old. They play in the game’s shortest format today, and more than just pride is at stake. Here, qualification for the semifinals is at stake. Each team, Australia led by Aaron Finch and England led by Jos Buttler, has won or lost a game. This match will increase one team’s chances of qualifying for the semifinals while decreasing another’s. However, there is a significant issue over which neither side can exert control.

Since October 27, it has rained continuously in Melbourne, and October 28 was no exception. The afternoon match between Afghanistan and Ireland was cancelled due to rain, and there is a good chance that the match between England and Australia will also be cancelled. Because there is no reserve day for games that are affected by rain, if the match is washed out, the two teams will each receive one point.

At the T20 World Cup, England and Australia shared a point from their Group 1 match at the MCG because of an unsafe, wet outfield. After both of their initial games ended in losses, both teams now have three points.

As a result, the matchup between these two old rivals on Friday was billed as a “loser goes out” contest.

Sadly, at 8.49 p.m. local time, the umpires ultimately decided to end the game after it rained all day and briefly in the evening. Even though play could have started at 10.04 p.m., with the possibility of a five-over match, the ground would not have dried in time due to the cold evening conditions, especially the bowlers’ run-ups, which were a particular cause for concern.

Heavy downpour over the most recent few days in Melbourne implied the two sides came into Friday realising precipitation would have an impact. It came as no surprise that the first match of the day, between Afghanistan and Ireland, was also abandoned without a coin toss, so it was not surprising that this one was also abandoned.

“The outfield has taken a drenching over the last couple of weeks, as wet as I’ve ever seen it. The run-ups and around the circle were very, very wet. It’s about player safety. We saw one of the Zimbabweans go down the other day (Richard Ngarava). If you’re trying to run out there, it’s going to be a real issue.”

Aaron Finch, Australia’s captain, said. 

The inspection ended at 7.30 p.m. local time, 30 minutes after the scheduled start time, with the square’s cover still in place while the clouds briefly held.With the drainage system and super-soppers working overtime, surface water remained a concern.

A check at 8.15 p.m. gave way to a check at 8.50 p.m.However, prior to this, a second shower caused the umpires to cancel the game, sending the 30,000 fans who braved the elements on their way.

“Everyone was here to play, everyone was ready to go. And there was a great turnout. It was disappointing not to get on but just the amount of rain Melbourne and the east coast of Australia has had over the last couple of weeks has been amazing.”

Finch added.

Finch also said that Matthew Wade, who tested positive for Covid-19 and had to prepare in a different changing room, was supposed to be in the team when play started. Yesterday, he had a few symptoms, but today, all he had was a headache.However, he was free to go.

England currently sits second in the Group 1 standings thanks to their +0.239 net run rate, three points ahead of Australia and Ireland, who beat them on Wednesday.

However, they also have the most difficult schedule of the teams who could now finish with seven points. New Zealand will play on Tuesday in Brisbane, where more rain is expected, and Sri Lanka will play on Saturday. Australia has upcoming matches against Ireland and Afghanistan in which they could still improve their -1.555 net run rate, despite the fact that two victories would probably be enough to advance England to the semifinals.

ALSO READ: T20 Internationals: Kohli tops Tendulkar in having most fifties in SENA countries

In contrast, New Zealand can afford to lose to England and still qualify if they win their remaining two games against Sri Lanka and Ireland. With only one point separating the six teams, Afghanistan and Ireland are still very much in the running for the knockout stages.

T20 World Cup’22, AFG vs ENG: England 113 for 5 (Livingstone 29*) beat Afghanistan 112 (Curran 5-10) by five wickets

A five-wicket victory over Afghanistan has launched England’s World Cup campaign.

One of the favourites for the tournament gave a performance that was very much split in two. They were outstanding on the field, supporting Jos Buttler’s decision to bowl first by dismissing Afghanistan for 112 with Sam Curran’s superb 5 for 10, making him the first Englishman to score five for in a Twenty20 International.

However, a sluggish chase marred what could have been a flawless performance. They were 65 for 3 at one point in the 11th over, but they only managed to clear the fence once and missed the opportunity to seal this victory with a significant increase in net run rate.

Curran made headlines with his career-best numbers and was even on a hat-trick when he bowled out Rashid Khan and Azmatullah Omarzai off the last two balls of the 18th over. He didn’t score a hat trick, but he did get three out of four when Usman Ghani hit Liam Livingstone for one at deep point in the 20th over.

Livingstone’s first response, if that was a basic one, was on the opposite end of the spectrum: after Hazratullah Zazai attempted to tie Ben Stokes to the fence, charging out from the cover boundary and making a stunning, diving catch at the backward point. After that, Stokes picked up another wicket thanks to Adil Rashid’s similar outfield brilliance, this time. Chris Woakes (1 for 24) relied on intelligence to leave Mohammad Nabi’s team well short of a par score, while Mark Wood also claimed two with a four-over spell at an average speed of 149 kilometres per hour.

The manner in which England struggled, particularly against Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Nabi, indicated that a few kinks still needed to be worked out, despite the fact that achieving the 113 target was always anticipated. With just one boundary between them, the spin trio managed to pick up one wicket each. In the end, Buttler’s team prevailed due to their depth of batting, with Liam Livingstone remaining unbeaten on 29 off 21—the only English batsman to score double figures at more than a run per ball—and Moeen Ali (8 off 10) as company.

Wood cranks it up, again

Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s outside edge was taken by Wood’s first ball, which veered away from 91 mph. Ibrahim Zadran was greeted by the second, which reached 96 mph. It is safe to say that Wood did not play games. At this World Cup, a lot has been said about his pace, and even more about how different he is from the English attack. Wood did a fantastic job living up to the hype and expectations, and that brought its own pressure.

From a statistical standpoint, the two wickets for 23 are what matter, but the other figures are jaw-dropping. He looks as fresh and consistent as ever, which is a credit to the man himself and the medical team, who have worked tirelessly to help him reach a level England has never experienced.

Fielding focus

His fielding was one aspect of the conversation with Stokes that punctuated discussions on selection issues prior to this first match. His fielding would be crucial in Australia, regardless of his bat or ball position: his cannon arm, his speed across those vast green areas, and, of course, his hands. He actually did a great job with the ball (2 for 19), but he didn’t do much with the bat (2 off 4), and he was mostly a spectator in the field. The last part occurred because his companions made the stunning grabs this time. Livingstone and Adil Rashid replicated Glenn Phillips’ earlier worldie against Australia with impressive running and diving catches. The cherry on top was Buttler’s one-handed Superman catch, and even Alex Hales’ late, sprawling drop could be considered a boundary save. The batting of England is without a doubt their greatest strength, followed closely by their fielding.

ALSO READ: Rohit extols the importance of arriving early in Australia

Afghanistan botch upset

The collapse to five for three off the final 12 deliveries of their innings, the runs off Alex Hales on four and 17 (he was eventually run out for 19), and the fact that England did not have to take risks against their spinners, as Rashid Khan only scored one boundary in four overs. You can see why Afghanistan’s strategy has been to defend at the toss since Nabi stated he wanted to do so. However, it’s also understandable why their fans might regret what could have been. An underwhelming, borderline naive approach with the bat was largely to blame for England’s failure to capitalise on an opportunity. An additional 20 runs would have made a big difference considering how the game ended in the last hour.

AUS vs ENG, 2nd T20I: England 178 for 7 (Malan 82, Moeen 44, Stoinis 3-34, Zampa 2-26) beat Australia 170 for 6 (Marsh 45, David 40, Curran 3-25) by eight runs

England won the T20I series by eight runs in Canberra, with Dawid Malan scoring a blistering 82 and Sam Curran once more maintaining his composure with the bat. England defeated a full-strength Australia to build momentum for the upcoming T20 World Cup after winning by the same margin in the series opener in Perth.

After the visitors were sent to bat on a seaming pitch in chilly conditions, Malan’s blistering 49-ball knock helped England dig themselves out of an early hole. Australia threatened to score 179 to win the series, but a composed Curran stopped them, and the defending T20 World Cup champions were constantly questioned about a bad batting order. The final episode of the series will air on Friday at the same location.

Malan was the casualty as England sought flexibility and promoted a slew of big-hitters up the order after Jos Buttler and Alex Hales’ record century opening stand in Perth.

This indicated that the graceful left-handed batter moved down to No.7 and only had to deal with two deaths. Malan, on the other hand, returned to his usual No. 1 position against a full-strength Australia attack under lights on a seaming Manuka Oval pitch. 3 slot and saved England’s 54-for-4 start.

Malan demonstrated once more that he is well-suited to the faster conditions of Australia by combining his signature beautiful cover drives with more aggressive strokes. Moeen Ali, who was saved early by a rare drop from Glenn Maxwell at the backward point, gave him a lot of support. With a quick partnership of 92 runs with Malan, he made Australia pay with 44 runs off 27 deliveries.

Malan put his foot down after Moeen left in the 17th over to lead England to a competitive total and show what might be in store for the 35-year-old at the T20 World Cup. Starc sat back, while Stoinis stole the show. Their star bowlers returned after missing the long trip to Perth, but Australia tinkered with spearhead Mitchell Starc, who did not open the T20I for the first time since 2014.

It appeared to be paying off, as all-rounder Marcus Stoinis continued his strong start to the series by removing Hales shortly after. In the fourth over, Pat Cummins took the major wicket of Buttler. 

In the sixth over, Starc finally entered the attack, but Malan immediately launched a freewheeling counterattack.The left-armer and his fellow star quicks gave up runs, but Australia got strong help from Stoinis, who got three wickets for the first time in his T20I career, and Adam Zampa, a reliable leg spinner, slowed England down in the middle overs.

However, a sloppy fielding display resulted in several missed catches for them

After recently shifting away from his usual opening role, Aaron Finch returned to the top, but it failed to solve Australia’s batting problems, with the skipper being run out to mid-off for 13.

Maxwell, who had been rested for game one, had a golden chance to break out of a long slump when he entered the game at 22 for 2 after David Warner’s wicket.

However, Maxwell has scored only 16 runs in his last six T20I innings after failing to get going once more and being caught for just eight. The competition for spots is intense with Steve Smith in the wings after failing to make the lineup this series. Big men Mitchell Marsh and Tim David appeared to be in great shape, but they couldn’t keep Australia in the game long enough to win.

Curran does it again England’s attack appeared vulnerable without speedster Mark Wood, who ignited game one with rapid bowling and a three-wicket haul. This was made worse by Chris Jordan’s struggles on his return from injury.

ALSO READ: NZ vs BAN, T20I: NZ beats BAN by 48 runs!

Curran does it again

Curran was under a lot of pressure, and he delivered with the wickets of Maxwell and Stoinis in the middle of the innings. He maintained his composure when he returned in the 18th over to snag the crucial wicket of David, who was on the verge of flipping the match on its head, much like his clutch death bowling in Perth. The 24-year-old, who is getting ready for a big T20 World Cup, put on another strong performance.