The recent game between Australia and England seemed as if its script was written and approved by a compulsive gambler, who likes to bet on every player getting something to reduce the risk of losing. Matthew Short would get a five-wicket haul, Jake Fraser-McGurk would play a firing inning, Liam Livingston would forget that he is not playing a video game, and Jacob Bethell would wield the willow like a seasoned player. He might be a compulsive gambler but his bets show that he is not a realistic one. Because what transpired in Cardiff that night was nowhere near realistic. You would hope for one thing, and a complete opposite would take place the next second. Such was how Australia and England breathed down each other’s necks.
But it were England who took the game with them eventually. In all fairness and Australia’s defense, it is not a piece of cake recovering from a 90-off 47-ball partnership between batters who were both striking at more than 180. Somewhere in their hearts, the Aussies (As well as the fans who bought the tickets for the 3rd T20I) would be thanking Livingston and Bethell for their explosive innings out of nowhere because this win has made the series more interesting. Thanks to England’s 3 wickets win, all eyes shift now to Manchester.
Team Overview:
Australia have a problem but not the one they would want to complain about. With Matthew Short and Jake Fraser-McGurk both showing what they are made of, the selectors would have a hard time deciding who they want to stick with for the opening position. Short, may get inclined towards more by the management, should he keep on hitting the timbers the same way as he did in the Cardiff T20I. For some reason, Australian bowlers were not as impressive in Cardiff as they were in Southampton, barring, of course, Matthew Short and for some part, Sean Abbott as well. It would be interesting to see if Australia will turn back to the old gun aka Josh Hazlewood for the third T20I.
England’s top-order were, again, far from impressive. Had Liam Livingston and Jacob Bethell not done what they did, the team would have found themselves in a very tight and embarrassing spot. A solid partnership up top has never harmed anyone. The bowling line, however, were incredible even without Jofra Archer. Reece Topley’s failure to take even a single wicket in both matches is concerning and Old Trafford will give him another chance to bust the worries related to his bowling.
Head-to-Head Matches:
England and Australia have played 26 T20Is against one another. Both teams stand neck-to-neck with 12 wins each. 2 of these 26 games ended up without any results.
Weather and Pitch Report:
Old Trafford has a flatter surface than the other two venues and batters can hope to make merry here. Pacers will play an important role during the powerplays but once the batters get out of that phase safely, it would be easier to score. Spinners can get help from the surface in the middle overs in case the sun decides not to hide behind the clouds. However, this will not be the case in Manchester as there is a good chance of rain paying visits during the game
Prediction:
After how England played in the last match, it’s difficult to predict which of the two is better. But the Australian team, in both matches, played like a team without relying on any single player. This makes them more reliable of the two, hence, more likely to win the game.
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
