Both sides have made it to the finals of two back-to-back ICC events in the past year, the first time at the Oval for the WTC Finals and more recently in Ahmedabad. On both occasions, the Kangaroos helmed toward the victory, elongating India’s wait for revenge. They meet again. This time at a relatively lesser stakes game. Losing isn’t necessarily a death sentence for any of the sides but whoever loses will face the unforgiving nature of this tournament more openly.
Suppose Australia end up on the losing side or begrudgingly watching the rain wash away the match. In that case, they will have to rely on the very opponent that has brought them to this pickle of a situation in the first place: Afghanistan. Afghanistan winning and Australia losing again (albeit to different opponents) will mean the end of the Mitchell Marsh-led men’s campaign.
India have a little less to lose than their opponent. Thanks in big part to their Net Run Rate. Even if their losing streak against Australia continues, their semi-final hopes would not be impacted much, unless something goes horribly wrong for them. But they would still like to get to the semi-finals without any hitch that could affect the winning wave they are riding on.
Team Overview:
Australia comes off a fresh defeat against Afghanistan. But that defeat has more to do with Afghanistan’s brilliance than the Aussies’ flaws. One can debate about the scoring rate which was Australia’s lowest so far in the tournament but it can not be forsaken that this all took place on a pitch that assisted Afghan bowlers quite a lot. Nevertheless, Australia’s batting has done well so far, largely due to solid starts provided by Travis Head and David Warner. Batters down the order have room for improvement and the batting pitch in St. Lucia can help them get rid of this dearth.
In terms of bowling, India have been one of the better teams. Jasprit Bumrah’s comeback has done wonders for them but the task ahead will be more difficult. Bowling on the flattest of pitches used in this tournament will be a test for them, that too against a team like Australia. In such conditions, the batters especially the top order would need to alleviate the burden off of the bowler’s shoulders.
Head-to-head Matches:
India and Australia have played plenty of matches against each other. India have dominated the match-up by winning 19 of the 31 matches both teams have played while Australia came out victorious in 11 games.
Weather and Pitch Report:
St. Lucia sky will try its best to dampen this electrifying clash as rain is forecasted for the region throughout Monday evening. The pitch is the most batting-friendly of all used in this tournament. Fast bowlers don’t usually fare well on this ground but spinners don’t share this fate. With the game scheduled to be played under the lights, a run-glut is very likely.
Prediction:
It’s difficult to say which team has the edge over the other. Both teams have been incredible this edition. Although India have been unbeaten in this tournament, Australia have been their kryptonite lately. Adding to that, India will not be able to get bounties of their brilliant bowling on this pitch as much as they have done in the previous games. This could provide the Aussies with an opportunity to nail them and clear the semi-final path conveniently.
Where to Watch:
- India – Star Sports
- Pakistan – PTV Sports, Ten Sports, Myco (Live streaming) and Tamasha app (Live streaming)
- USA and Canada – Willow TV
- England – Sky Sports Network
- Caribbean – ESPN Caribbean
- New Zealand & Australia – Sky Sports NZ, Prime Video
- Other regions – SuperSport, Sirasa, CricLife, STARZPLAY
