England will try to stay alive in the One Day International (ODI) series when they take on Australia at Manchester on Tuesday 8th September. The Aussies are already 2-0 up in the series and will look to wrap up things with another complete limited overs performance.
There should be additional incentive for the hosts after the ‘Obstructing the Field’ decision against Ben Stokes during the 2nd ODI at Lord’s. With the series on the line, and the tension still rising from that incident, Eoin Morgan will hope for a spirited display from his team.
England are undergoing a transformation of their own after the World Cup debacle. The hosts may have outclassed New Zealand but were brought crashing back to Earth in the first two matches against Australia. Any hopes of staying alive in the series will now hinge on picking up the pieces and putting in their best display.
That will not be easy based on what was put up by the formidable Aussies so far. Morgan will continue to shoulder the burden of scoring runs for England. He will hope that his top order will come good to ease some pressure on himself. The return of Jonny Bairstow as wicketkeeper/batsman could be some good news for the misfiring middle-order.
Their bowling lineup may see some change with Peter Willey expected to provide variety with his left arm swing. Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali could be a factor too with the pitch believed to aid spin bowling.
Australia will see David Warner out for the series after fracturing his thumb on the very first ball of the 2nd ODI, while Shane Watson and Nathan Coulter-Nile have also been ruled out with injuries. Victorians Aaron Finch, John Hastings and Peter Handscomb have been called up to join the squad with the three already in England playing county cricket.
Depleted or not, this Aussie side looks determined to come up trumps this series.
One reason for the Aussie dominance is the consistency of their top order batting. Pat Cummins continues his good show form with the ball after returning to the team while Ashton Agar may get his first chance to tweak the ball as an up-and-coming young allrounder.
The odds on Australia winning the game are again rather short at $1.74 at Unibet but they do look hard to beat. If you’re looking for a little more value then you may prefer the Man of the Match award. Mitchell Marsh has been both dynamic and consistent with the bat this series, while his bowling and fielding making him a three-dimensional player and a great speculative option for Man of the Match at $17 at Sportsbet.
Adil Rashid may find the pitch conducive for his bowling and could surprise the Aussies, so he’s worth taking at $4.33 at Sportsbet to be England’s leading wicket taker in the match.
No match between these two eternal rivals is easy but Australia is making a habit of easy wins in this ODI series. The third match could prove to the same.
