After Australia triumphed over England in Southampton, England have this one opportunity to save the series from going into their rivals’ kitty. It would take quite a lot to stop the Australian batters, especially the top order, from firing the way they have been ever since they landed on the continent. But the defeat in the first T20I would definitely have taught the hosts a few things, one of which would be that the batters need to stick longer. While the bowlers, barring Sam Curran, did a pretty impressive job in stopping Australia from breaching the 200-run mark, without substantial input from their batting counterparts it would be difficult to get over the line.
Australia covered almost all the bases with the way they outclassed the hosts in the serious opener but the opening stand between the new-in Matthew Short and Travis Head caused the main damage. Their dominance in powerplay was what got them ahead of England throughout the game. But the visitors make sure not to rely on the top-order too much. Without any inputs by middle order, it’s just a matter of time before the Kangaroos find them in a mire.
Team Overview:
England would very much fancy seeing their older members display a commanding show of skills. Liam Livingston did well with the ball but in a batting lineup that featured two debutants, the team would have done well had Livingston’s bat churned out more runs. The same goes with Sam Curran, who was equally timid in both departments. England tried to make some amends in the later end of the innings, to try and stop the run flow. Stop the run flow they did thanks to death bowling by Saqib Mahmood and Jofra Archer. If the hosts continue the same positives in the second match as well in addition to correcting their flaws, they will have a fair chance to not let the series slip out of their hands.
Injuries have caused more to worry for Australia than they would have liked. Xavier Bartlett who the Aussies were counting on to complement Josh Hazlewood might have to sit a few games out after a side injury during the first game. Hazlewood and Sean Abbott along with Adam Zampa, although, were enough for the opposition, the visitors have added the southpaw Ben Dwarshuis to the reserves in the event they need another pacer to accompany them.
Head-to-Head Match:
England and Australia have played 25 T20Is against one another. Australia dominate the matchup with 12 wins while England follow behind closely with 11 wins. 2 of these 25 games ended up without any results.
Weather and Pitch Report:
Rain will likely not spoon the fun in the series decider in Cardiff. The ground has a bouncy surface that assists the pacers, especially in the beginning when the ball is new. Batters can expect to make the conditions work in their favor as well as the deck has a predictable bounce and a fast outfield.
Prediction:
Australia have been doing brilliantly ever since the entered the Kingdom. During this match, too, the Mitchell Marsh-led boys have a higher chance of getting over the line than the visitors.
Where to watch:
Pakistan: Tapmad
England: Sky Sports Network, SkyGo (Live Streaming).
Australia: Willow TV, Kayo Sports, FoxTel (Live Streaming)
India: Sony, Sony LIV app and FanCode (Live streaming)
Others: CricHD