ENG vs AUS Match Preview

The Fifth Test of the Men’s Ashes series, which begins at the Oval on Thursday morning, concludes one of the most closely contested and entertaining series in history. Australia has won the Ashes and leads the series 2-1, but England was far superior in the drawn Fourth Test and won the Third Test. England played well in Manchester last week but did not declare early enough to force a result due to bad weather on the final day. They will believe they are deserving of tying the series with a victory at The Oval. On this trip, Australia has already won the World Test Championship Final and retained the Ashes, and all they need to do now is avoid defeat to win the series. It will, however, be a difficult task against this England team.

ENG vs AUS Match Details

England vs Australia – 5th Test

Venue: Kennington Oval – London

Date & Time: 27th July 2023 at 03:30 PM IST 

Live Streaming: SonyLIV

ENG vs AUS Venue Stats

ENG vs AUS Pitch Report

We’ve seen plenty of high scores at The Oval this season, regardless of the format. In the first innings, a par score will be 350-400.

ENG vs AUS Weather Report

Day Four of the Oval Test will be the only one without rain. However, it could just be passing showers, and there should be enough time to see a result.

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.

ENG vs AUS Probable Playing XIs:

England Probable Playing XIs

Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Moeen Ali, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Ben Stokes (c), Chris Woakes, Stuart Broad, Mark Wood, Jimmy Anderson

Australia Probable Playing XIs

Usman Khawaja, David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood

Topmost Picks for ENG vs AUS Dream11 Prediction:

Top Picks – England

• Joe Root – The 32 year old made his second score of 80+ in the series at Old Trafford last week. He could only be dismissed by a ball which shot along the ground.
• Mark Wood – The quick bowler put in another very strong bowling performance at Old Trafford. He is the player who Australia’s batters most fear in this series.

Top Picks – Australia

• Usman Khawaja – Only one player across both sides in the series has hit more runs than the Australian opener. He had previously struggled in England but has been very good on this tour.
• Pat Cummins – The skipper has taken 16 wickets across this series and although he has been expensive at times, he regularly finds a way to dismiss some of the world’s best players.

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

Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Zak Crawley, Mitchell Marsh(C), Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes(VC), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Stuart Broad

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

Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root(C), Steve Smith(VC), Usman Khawaja, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Mark Wood

Captain and Vice-Captain Options:

Captain – Mitchell Marsh, Joe Root

Vice-captain – Chris Woakes, Steve Smith

Wicketkeeper – Jonny Bairstow

ENG vs AUS Probable Winners:

Australia may have already won the Ashes, but there is no way they will relent in this game. None of their players have ever won an Ashes series in England, and this may be their last chance. England, on the other hand, has been playing excellent cricket in the last two Tests and looks set to thrive in the forecast cloudy conditions. We predict an England victory to end the series. Considering the team combination, England is expected to win this match.

ENG vs AUS Match Preview

England and Australia meet for the fourth time this summer at Old Trafford on Wednesday morning, with the visitors leading the series 2-1. England re-entered the series with a three-wicket victory at Headingley two Sundays ago. England won their first series match at Headingley, following narrow defeats at Edgbaston and Lord’s. The hosts will now believe they have momentum and will be confident going into the second Test. Australia knows that a win in this game will secure the Ashes with one match remaining. However, they finished second in the previous competition.

ENG vs AUS Match Details

England vs Australia – 4th Test

Venue: Old Trafford – Manchester

Date & Time: 19th July 2023 at 03:30 PM IST 

Live Streaming: SonyLIV

ENG vs AUS Venue Stats

ENG vs AUS Pitch Report

We anticipate a pitch similar to the one used in Leeds for the previous Test, with some pace but also movement for the quicks and turn for the spinners.

ENG vs AUS Weather Report

The weather forecast for this Test Match calls for rain on the final four scheduled days. The hottest day and best weather are expected on Wednesday, with temperatures reaching 20 degrees.

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.

ENG vs AUS Probable Playing XIs:

England Probable Playing XIs

Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Moeen Ali, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Ben Stokes (c), Chris Woakes, Stuart Broad, Mark Wood, Jimmy Anderson

Australia Probable Playing XIs

Usman Khawaja, David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh,  Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood

Topmost Picks for ENG vs AUS Dream11 Prediction:

Top Picks – England

• Joe Root – Only Alastair Cook has scored more Test centuries than the former England skipper. Right-handed Root is the wicket which all Australian bowlers want to take.
• Stuart Broad – The tall aggressive pace bowler took 3 wickets in both innings of the First Test including dismissing Marnus Labuschagne for a golden duck in the first innings.

Top Picks – Australia

• Usman Khawaja – The experienced opener made scores of 141 and 65 at Edgbaston. Ahead of this Lord’s Test, his Test average is up to 48.10 from 109 innings.
• Mitchell Starc – The left-arm pace bowler has found his radar over recent games and causes plenty of problems to England’s right-handed batters with his natural angle.

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

Jonny Bairstow, Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja, Joe Root, Mitchell Marsh(C), Ben Stokes(VC), Chris Woakes, Stuart Broad, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Mark Wood

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

Ben Duckett, Steve Smith(VC), Travis Head, Joe Root(C), Mitchell Marsh, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Stuart Broad, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood

Captain and Vice-Captain Options:

Captain – Mitchell Marsh, Joe Root

Vice-captain – Ben Stokes, Steve Smith

Wicketkeeper – Jonny Bairstow

ENG vs AUS Probable Winners:

With the Ashes still up for grabs, another thrilling Test Match at Old Trafford is expected. If Australia had won the final game, they would have already won the series, but England fought back and now appears to have the upper hand. England’s bowling attack appears to be at its peak ahead of this game, and we expect them to win. Considering the team combination, England is expected to win this match.

ENG vs AUS Match Preview

England faces a must-win situation in the third Ashes Test against Australia, trailing the five-match series 2-0. The score is 2-0 in favour of Australia, but England has tried to play bold cricket, unconcerned about the outcome. However, at this level, teams should be flexible enough to adopt different strategies, and if something isn’t working, the teams should switch to plan B, which is exactly what England should do. Australia has been outstanding in the Ashes, denying England a chance to dominate. Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc have kept the English batters at bay. If England remains rigid and plays only one way, this Australian bowling lineup will destroy them.

ENG vs AUS Match Details

England vs Australia – 3rd Test

Venue: Headingley Stadium – Leeds

Date & Time: 06th July 2023 at 03:30 PM IST 

Live Streaming: SonyLIV

ENG vs AUS Venue Stats

ENG vs AUS Pitch Report

The pitch appears to be very green right now, but we anticipate that some of the grass will have been removed by the time of the toss on Wednesday morning. A reasonable first-inning total will be around 350.

ENG vs AUS Weather Report

This Test is expected to have cloudy conditions on Day 1 and rain on Day 2. Clear skies are expected to predominate beginning on Day 3.

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.

ENG vs AUS Probable Playing XIs:

England Probable Playing XIs

Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jonny Bairstow (wk), Stuart Broad, Ollie Robinson, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes

Australia Probable Playing XIs

David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (c), Todd Murphy, Josh Hazlewood

Topmost Picks for ENG vs AUS Dream11 Prediction:

Top Picks – England

• Joe Root – Only Alastair Cook has scored more Test centuries than the former England skipper. Right-handed Root is the wicket which all Australian bowlers want to take.
• Stuart Broad – The tall aggressive pace bowler took 3 wickets in both innings of the First Test including dismissing Marnus Labuschagne for a golden duck in the first innings.

Top Picks – Australia

• Usman Khawaja – The experienced opener made scores of 141 and 65 at Edgbaston. Ahead of this Lord’s Test, his Test average is up to 48.10 from 109 innings.
• Nathan Lyon – The off-spinner continues to cause England problems irrespective of the venue. He was even at the crease for the winning runs in Edgbaston which will have given him particular pleasure.

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

Alex Carey, Ben Duckett, Usman Khawaja, Joe Root, Steven Smith(C), Travis Head, Ben Stokes(VC), Stuart Broad, Ollie Robinson, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins

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

Alex Carey, Harry Brook, Usman Khawaja(VC), Joe Root(C), Steven Smith, Travis Head, Ben Stokes, Stuart Broad, Mark Wood, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins

Captain and Vice-Captain Options:

Captain – Steven Smith, Joe Root

Vice-captain – Ben Stokes, Usman Khawaja

Wicketkeeper – Jonny Bairstow

ENG vs AUS Probable Winners:

After losing the first two games, England will be desperate to win one more game and keep the series alive. England has looked good in patches, but they have struggled to execute the Bazball against Australia’s bowling attack. England must reconsider their strategy and play a more prudent game. They will be blown away by Australia if they remain rigid and continue to play the way they do. Considering the team combination, Australia is expected to win this match.

ENG vs AUS Match Preview

Following a thrilling first Test of the 2023 Ashes at Edgbaston, England and Australia will square off again in the series’ second Test at Lord’s on Wednesday morning. Australia won the first Test with two wickets remaining, but both teams believe they can play much better in this game. England maintained their attacking mindset and came close to taking a 1-0 lead in the Lord’s Ashes Test. They will not back down against the Aussies and will be confident of tying the series. Australia displayed incredible fortitude in overcoming a difficult first day on the pitch to win in Edgbaston thanks to some lower order batting heroics. Australia will be full of confidence after winning that game.

ENG vs AUS Match Details

England vs Australia – 2nd Test

Venue: Lords Cricket Ground – London

Date & Time: 28th June 2023 at 03:30 PM IST 

Live Streaming: SonyLIV

ENG vs AUS Venue Stats

ENG vs AUS Pitch Report

The pitch appears to be very green right now, but we anticipate that some of the grass will have been removed by the time of the toss on Wednesday morning. A reasonable first-inning total will be around 350.

ENG vs AUS Weather Report

This Test is expected to have cloudy conditions on Day 1 and rain on Day 2. Clear skies are expected to predominate beginning on Day 3.

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.

ENG vs AUS Probable Playing XIs:

England Probable Playing XIs

Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Ben Stokes (c), Moeen Ali, Stuart Broad, Ollie Robinson, Jimmy Anderson

Australia Probable Playing XIs

Usman Khawaja, David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland, Nathan Lyon

Topmost Picks for ENG vs AUS Dream11 Prediction:

Top Picks – England

• Joe Root – Only Alastair Cook has scored more Test centuries than the former England skipper. Right-handed Root is the wicket which all Australian bowlers want to take.
• Stuart Broad – The tall aggressive pace bowler took 3 wickets in both innings of the First Test including dismissing Marnus Labuschagne for a golden duck in the first innings.

Top Picks – Australia

• Usman Khawaja – The experienced opener made scores of 141 and 65 at Edgbaston. Ahead of this Lord’s Test, his Test average is up to 48.10 from 109 innings.
• Nathan Lyon – The off-spinner continues to cause England problems irrespective of the venue. He was even at the crease for the winning runs in Edgbaston which will have given him particular pleasure.

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

Jonny Bairstow(VC), Alex Carey, Joe Root, Usman Khawaja(C), Steve Smith, Ben Stokes, Cameron Green, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Ollie Robinson, Jimmy Anderson

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

Jonny Bairstow, Marnus Labuschagne, Joe Root(C), Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith(VC), Ben Stokes, Cameron Green, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Moeen Ali, Jimmy Anderson

Captain and Vice-Captain Options:

Captain – Usman Khawaja, Joe Root

Vice-captain – Jonny Bairstow, Steve Smith

Wicketkeeper – Jonny Bairstow

ENG vs AUS Probable Winners:

The first Ashes Test was enjoyed by all cricket fans, and both teams will feel they can take positives from the match. The visitors can point to their victory as the ultimate success because England took the initiative and was not afraid of Australia. We expect another close game, but we believe Australia’s key batters will score more runs this time. Australia will win, in our opinion. Considering the team combination, Australia is expected to win this match.

The Ashes are here and England will be eager to get things on the way. Unlike last time they come in with a lot of form and intimidation around them this time. The one major concern for them though would be the form of Steve Smith who looked unstoppable in the WTC Finals, and could get the English bowlers sweating again.

ENG vs AUS Match Details

Date: June 16th, 2023

Time:  3:30 PM IST

Venue: Birmingham

ENG vs AUS Weather Report

The weather looks pretty clear for the upcoming fixture.

ENG vs AUS Pitch Report

The nature of the track is uncertain with Ben Stokes and England calling for Flat and Fast pitches for the Ashes.

ENG vs AUS Head-to-Head

Played- 356 | England- 110 | Australia-150 | Draw- 96 | Tie- 0

ENG vs AUS Predicted Playing XI

England Playing XI

Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Ollie Robinson, Stuart Broad, James Anderson

Australia Playing XI

David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc/ Josh Boland, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon

ENG vs AUS Key Players

Moeen Ali

A few months after closing the door on a Test comeback, Moeen Ali will make his way back in whites as he gears up for his first Test since 2021. He sees the upcoming Test as a free hit and with Jack Leach out he had to make his way back to help England fill the gap of the spinner in the line-up.

David Warner

The next two Tests are key to David Warner’s Test career. A good performance here allows him to extend his career potentially up until the Sydney Test where he has already expressed his desires to have his swansong. He will have Stuart Broad against him though who has tormented him dearly around the wicket last time around in England.

ENG vs AUS Match Tips

England are a changed side but seeing the Australian bowling attack and England’s head to head against their bowlers Australia could come in as favorites despite the talk about Bazball.

Match Prediction: Australia Will Win the Match

Brendon McCullum was the one tasked with the tough job of informing Ben Foakes that he will be out of the squad for the Ireland Test and potentially the Ashes. 6 months ago, Ben Foakes, after the Ashes debacle was cemented as the keeper thanks to his incredible skill with the gloves. A freak injury to Jonny Bairstow, and a rich vein of form from Harry Brook, who plays exactly how Ben Stokes wants him and his side to play, has left England struggling with their selection.

Harry Brook, with his returns in Pakistan made himself undroppable. He came in as a replacement for Jonny Bairstow, the one who kicked off Bazball, and started England’s resurgence. From his century in Sydney, during that disappointing Ashes, to the English summer which had Jonny Bairstow go crazy with five centuries in the year, Jonny Bairstow went from a player who looked doubtful for the longest format to one who can not be left out.

It is a harsh call with Foakes doing so well in the County Championship, and considering his form for England too. The selectors though were left with a fair bit to think. Barring Ben Foakes, the only open slot potentially could have been the opening spot with Zak Crawley out of form. Who could move up though? Jonny Bairstow does open in white-ball cricket, but asking him to do the same, in England, against the moving ball would be asking for trouble.

Throughout his career, he was shuffled around a fair bit and that is what led to Bairstow moving in and out of the side for a while after 2019. Additionally, moving the batter who started the resurgence to the toughest position in the line-up would not have been a very fair move. Ben Stokes was another option, but in the end, England did not go that way, given the fact that Stokes already has a lot on his hands with captaincy, holding the middle-order and responsibilities as the fourth pacer keeping him busy.

Another option was moving Ollie Pope up, but given that he too has just moved to number three, another change in position may have been too much for the youngster, leading to the selectors going back to Bairstow as keeper.

Bairstow last kept for England back in 2019, and did a fair job with the gloves. He had his best year in Test Cricket back in 2016, finishing with the then highest tally for Test runs by an English batter in a calendar year. All his runs back then came at number seven while he had the gloves. His career though took another up turn last year as the beast was unlocked by the new management, who gave him the license to play in his natural, aggressive manner. He fit in perfectly with the Stokes-McCullum vision, and with Brook settled at five it only made sense to give Bairstow the gloves.

While Ben Foakes goes out, Stokes has mentioned that he remains their number one keeper. He is likely to comeback on tours to the subcontinent, where his glovework has been exceptional. As a batter too, despite not playing as aggressively as England may have wanted, he did a fair job over the last twelve months, providing some vital contributions. He looked settled for the Ashes, but for now, Ben Foakes is left waiting again.

There is no doubt that Ben Foakes will be taken aback by this selection. As a gloveman though he remains one of the best in the country, and England will be hoping he comes back strongly, as he finds himself waiting on the sidelines once more.

Kevin Pietersen, a former England cricketer, believes that Jofra Archer’s most recent injury is the final blow to his chances of playing international cricket. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed on Tuesday, May 16 that the pacer suffered a stress fracture to his elbow and would not play in the English summer.

The Mumbai Indians (MI), according to several media reports, have offered Archer a position. The player has reportedly been offered a contract by the team that would only keep him with MI and its sister teams in various T20 leagues around the world. The ECB will need to get MI’s blessing before they can include Archer in their international team.

Opining that taking the franchise cricket route is the better option for Jofra Archer considering his history with injuries,

“I’m gutted for Jofra. Absolutely gutted. I think this will probably end his journey with English cricket. I know that there are reports around a franchise contract, and that would be the smartest thing for him to do now. Take six months to recover, select a few tournaments to play, and bowl at the speed of light for a few months of the year. He would earn good money and still have a career in the game.” 

Pietersen wrote on his blog for Betway.

“Archer was in England’s plans for the Ashes, but his injury forced them to look at other options. The Ben Stokes-led side are already concerned with recent injuries to James Anderson and Olly Stone during the County Championship. He should now just go and cash in as much as he can in franchise cricket”,

Kevin Pietersen.

Archer is already a member of the Mumbai Indians (MI) team that competes in both the SA20 League and the Indian Premier League. Would it be a good idea for him to completely resolve to establish cricket, he will before long wear the blue tones in the ILT20 as well as the new association situated in the USA, the Significant Association Cricket (MLC).

Kevin Pietersen wrote that Archer is not to blame for the apparent end of his international career:

“I think the longer form of the game has passed him by. I think English cricket has probably passed him by.”

“It’s no fault of his own, he’s just injury prone. As much as he would love to play for England, because I know that’s his dream, it’s probably finished. He should now just go and cash in as much as he can in franchise cricket. But first of all, get himself fit.”

Pietersen continued:

England is on the brink of another Ashes defeat. They last made contact with the urn back in 2015, and haven’t won a Test since the 2010-2011 Ashes. Going by form, and potential, England look like they will continue to remain winless. They have some nice names in the squad, but very few have performed. The batting, in the first to games, depended too much on Joe Root, and Dawid Malan, while the bowling remains hit and miss. With England in a must-win situation, they could bring in some changes ahead at Melbourne.

See Also: 2021: South Africa’s Starting XI as they Begin a New Era – Cricket Winner

Zak Crawley in for Haseeb Hameed

Haseeb Hameed’s technique was good for the India tour back in 2016, when he made his debut, but the technique that worked then is failing him now. Playing with low hands, Hameed struggles against the balls that bounce higher. While Rory Burns has been under greater scrutiny, Hameed’s technique puts him further under the scanner. Rory Burns himself hasn’t looked comfortable at all, with a first-ball duck at Brisbane set the tone for England.

Burns though will likely get another chance, while Zak Crawley steps in for Haseeb Hameed. At 6’5”, Crawley’s height will make him feel less uncomfortable against the bounce. He is a free-flowing batter, with a nice range of strokes, which may help England set the tone early in the innings. Zak Crawley has a career-best of 267, but his form has also been an issue over the last year, which makes the opening puzzle all the more difficult.

Jonny Bairstow in for Ollie Pope

Ollie Pope is a batter with loads of potential, and a nice technique, but his batting hasn’t been good enough so far. With a long career ahead of him, England may want to give Pope some time off before he loses confidence, after a tough series. His approach has been a little puzzling as Pope didn’t look to comfortable against the likes of Starc or Lyon during his brief visits to the crease.

With very few options in the squad, England will have to go back to Jonny Bairstow yet again. Bairstow has been in and out of the side, and has struggled through the year in the longer format. He was in top-form back in 2016, and did a decent job at Australia on their last visit, but Bairstow struggled to kick off from a few good seasons. He is second on the list of ducks this year among England batters.

Chris Woakes out, Mark Wood in

Mark Wood was in great touch in the first Test, reaching a high pace and using the Australian conditions nicely. Being the only express pace bowler in the England squad, and one with injury issues, England was wary of overworking him, and rested him at Adelaide. His pace has put the likes of David Warner in some discomfort, and after a game off, Wood could be back at Melbourne.

England initially planned to have a wide range of express pace options for the Ashes. They groomed Jofra Archer, and Olly Stone only to see both suffering injuries, ending their Ashes hunt. Injuries to them left Mark Wood as the only bowler who could reach high speeds.

With Wood returning, Woakes seems the most likely to go out. He hasn’t been at his best, and is still struggling to crack the code on Australian pitches. He is in the firing line among the Australian batters, leaving Woakes in some trouble. His batting has been good, and it’s fair to say that he has been their best batter after Root, and Malan, but his batting alone may not be enough to keep him in the side.