Title favourites England are expected to be tested for the first time in the ongoing T20 World Cup when they face arch-rivals Australia in a battle for supremacy in the Super 12 Group 1 here on Saturday. Both teams go into the high pressure game unbeaten.
While England started their campaign as favourites for the trophy, Australia have emerged as a strong contender with their performance in the first two games. Australia's batting was not very convincing in the low-scoring match against South Africa but they were clinical in the chase against Sri Lanka Thursday night.
PLAYING XI
Australia David Warner, Aaron Finch(c), Glenn Maxwell, Steven Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade(w), Pat Cummins, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
England Jason Roy, Jos Buttler(w), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Eoin Morgan(c), Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid, Tymal Mills
Ahead of the clash between the cricket's oldest rivals, let's know which players can make a difference in the team of Dream XI:
Wicket-keeper (Jos Buttler)
Jos Buttler hasn't fired big in his last two games bu is still a vital cog in England's batting line-up while memories of his 73 against South Africa in warm-up game still fresh.
Batter (David Warner, Steve Smith, Jason Roy, Dawid Malan)
David Warner roared back to form in the last game with a 42-ball 65 while Steve Smith also made a valuable contribution in the team's win against Sri Lanka. Among English batters, Jason Roy heads into the match with a match-winning 61 in his last innings. Dawid Malan also showed glimpses of his form with an unbeaten 28.
All-rounder (Moeen Ali, Glenn Maxwell)
Moeen Ali carried his IPL form to the World Cup and has been picking up wickets in every match he has bowled so far. Glenn Maxwell is yet to fire in the T20 World Cup but it is hard to ignore the all-rounder given the successful IPL he had recently.
Bowler (Tymal Mills, Mitchell Starc, Adil Rashid, Adam Zampa)
Tymal Mills and Mitchell Starc come into the game after strong bowling spells in their respective last games. Adil Rashid wasn't successful in his last game in Abu Dhabi but is expected to be more impactful in Dubai given he took four wickets in the last match he played here. Oz spinner Adam Zampa is a certain inclusion and has been picking wickets regularly.
WEATHER REPORT
It will remain sunny throughout the day with temperatures hovering between 27-36 degree celsius. Strong winds are expected -- particularly during the afternoon with speeds likely to go past 23 km/h.
LIVE STREAMING
You can watch the T20 World Cup 2021 Super 12 Group 2 game England vs Australia Live Online on Hotstar and TV Telecast on Star Sports Network.
