Ahmedabad (Gujarat): Five-time ODI World Cup champions Australia would face a listless England when the two outfits clash here in a league stage game of the ICC Cricket World Cup on Saturday. The Pat Cummins-led Australia are comfortably sitting at the third spot with four wins from six games and just two losses and have eight points with a net run rate of +0.970. A win on Saturday in a day-night game at the Narendra Modi Stadium, the world's largest Stadium will help Australia gain two more points and the road to the semi-finals will become easy.
Australia started their campaign on a disastrous note after they lost to Rohit Sharma-led India in Chennai and then were outplayed by South Africa in Lucknow. But from then, they did not look back and roared to form playing like multiple-time World Champions having a plethora of match winners.
When the side was in trouble, somebody stood up and took responsibility - be it their aggressive opener David Warner or spinner Adam Zampa, who is an important cog in their wheel. However, the challenge for the Australian team management will not be easy as they will need to pick a perfect playing eleven in the absence of key all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, who has flown back home due to personal reasons and has been indefinitely ruled out of the marquee tournament.
Question marks also remain over the availability of star all-rounder Glenn Maxwell and if he is unable then the Pat Cummins-led side will have to find a suitable replacement. Australia will bank on openers David Warner and Travis Head to come good and provide the side a rollicking start be it while putting up a score or chasing. It is perhaps Warmer's last ODI World Cup and he would be keen to end on a high.
Their middle order also looks set with Marnus Labuschange and Steve Smith. But who would replace Mitchell Marsh, who was in scintillating form, is the million dollar question. Cameron Green is one of the candidates who can step in his shoes and so Australia can opt for such a move.
The bowling for Australia also looks sorted and pacer Mitchell Starc showed why is he still the best in the business after he held his nerves to stop New Zealand and eke out a win. Cummins and Josh Hazlewood have the ability to pose serious questions and they are up against the England lineup, which is not among the runs. Having languished at the bottom of the points table, defending champions England are already out of the World Cup and will play to salvage pride.
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