I think this Australia vs England series will perhaps tell us a little more about England than it will about Australia.
When I look at the Australian side, they are likely to be without Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins. These three are very likely to form Australia’s frontline bowling attack when the World Cup comes around in South Africa next year.
When I look at Australia’s batting line-up, I think it looks pretty strong. They are quite well settled at the top, but their bowling line-up is where I see some questions. Spencer Johnson’s return is a real positive. I think he is a very fine bowler. Xavier Bartlett will lead the attack, and then they have Mahli Beardman, Jack Edwards and Liam Scott. They have bowling options, but these are largely inexperienced players. It almost feels as though Australia are starting afresh in the bowling department, giving opportunities to a number of players.
So, I think both bowling line-ups could come under pressure during this series. England, at this stage, have a slightly more balanced and experienced attack, with greater variety. That is why I see England having a bit of an advantage in that department.
Australia, too, are going through a transitional period, particularly with Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis having retired from ODI cricket. I think they will clearly be missed. Both have been hugely influential players for Australia over a number of years. In particular, I think Maxwell’s all-round abilities are sometimes underestimated. The off-spin he could bring into a 50-over game was particularly useful. He could break partnerships, change the pace of the game and offer Australia another bowling option. I think that is something Australia will miss. They do have options in Cooper Connolly and his spin, as well as Matt Renshaw, and they will try to cover that aspect of the game. However, I think it will take some time before they can have the same kind of impact that someone like Glenn Maxwell had.
Stoinis, likewise, made a significant contribution with the bat and in the field. When you lose players like Maxwell and Stoinis, you are losing a lot of influence within the side. So I think Australia will be expected to miss their presence.
Another important factor for Australia is that they do not have a huge amount of ODI cricket coming up. These matches are therefore particularly important for them. I don’t think they play much ODI cricket over the next eight months or so, as their focus will shift very much towards Test cricket after this series. That makes these games important opportunities for them.
One more player I would like to focus on in the Australian set-up is Adam Zampa. With an inexperienced bowling attack around him, I think he will have a crucial role to play. He will be Australia’s go-to bowler. He will be expected to come in and out of the attack and provide the breakthroughs, particularly when stubborn partnerships develop. His ability to come in and take wickets will be important.
That also brings up the possibility of an interesting match-up with Adil Rashid. It would certainly be an intriguing contest if both are playing. I would certainly have Rashid in England’s side if I were picking the team. However, we should not forget that Rashid has been left out of England’s side in the last couple of games. So that particular match-up may not happen, but if it does, it will be an interesting one to watch.
Coming to England, I think they have had mixed experiences over the last few months. They obviously did not have a great time in the series in Pakistan,
but they did get themselves into winning positions in some of those games and failed to finish them off. Those were matches they would have expected to win more often than not.
So, while the victories have not necessarily come their way, I think some of their performances have been considerably better than the results might suggest. Harry Brook scored a double-hundred, while Ben Duckett also scored two hundreds in that series. They therefore come into this contest with some players in good form.
Jacob Bethell’s omission because he was not fit enough is a real shame, both for England and for him. He provides that left-arm balance with his left-arm spin, and his absence means England will have to look at their overall combination a little more carefully.
I think England have a decision to make when it comes to their bowling balance. Liam Dawson and Adil Rashid have been competing for one spot. I would not mind playing both of them in the same side, but England have so far found a way of playing only one, which is why Rashid has missed out.
However, I feel that in 50-over cricket, you need your most incisive bowler, someone who can take wickets regardless of the conditions. Whether the pitch is flat or offers something to the bowlers, you need someone who can break partnerships and provide breakthroughs. I would always play Adil Rashid. I would be very surprised if England decide not to include him.
I know he picked up wickets in the warm-up game, but I think England can still maintain a very good balance with both Dawson and Rashid in the side. They also have Will Jacks, who has been a real source of power and strength in the middle order, particularly towards the latter part of the innings. His off-spin is another useful option. They have Joe Root as well, which gives them a nicely balanced bowling attack.
When it comes to their pace options, I am a huge fan of Sonny Baker. I think he is not just quick but also bowls full deliveries, which is important. He has the ability to bowl quickly when he pitches the ball up to the batter, as well as when he goes short. I think he could become a real strength for England.
They also have Jofra Archer and the pace of Jamie Overton. I would like to see Sam Curran in the side as well because he brings that left-arm variety. That is an important element of England’s bowling attack. England also have Gus Atkinson and Henry Crocombe in the squad. There is certainly no shortage of pace options.
However, England will have to be a little careful about how they use those resources. In the past, when England have had an attack full of fast bowlers, they have sometimes become a little too predictable. It has been pace, pace and more pace. I think what is really important for England is to mix that pace with variety. They have left-arm pace options, left-arm spin, leg-spin and off-spin. They have all the resources available to them.
Harry Brook will need to use those resources wisely. If he can do that, I think England have a really strong bowling attack. As things stand, I would consider it stronger than Australia’s attack, particularly with Australia likely to be without Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins.
In terms of England’s batting, I think their line-up remains strong. Jordan Cox is one player I would keep an eye on, and I expect him to keep wickets. Jos Buttler is obviously out injured, which is a significant loss for England. They are still an inexperienced side in this format of the game, but these matches will give them an important opportunity to gain experience.
Even though England have more ODI cricket scheduled than Australia over the next few months in the build-up to the World Cup, that does not make this series any less important for them. These are important matches for both teams as they look to develop their combinations and give players opportunities.
Of course, whenever England and Australia play each other, it is always a massive occasion. It is a mouthwatering contest, and I am really looking forward to it.
I suspect the series will ultimately come down to the batting line-ups. Both teams have very strong batting units. For Australia, Head and Marsh will lead the way at the top of the order. There is probably no tougher proposition for any bowling attack than having to bowl to those two at the top.
However, I think the decisive factor could be which bowling line-up manages to hold its own better than the other. Both attacks have questions to answer, and both will come under pressure. The side whose bowlers manage to handle that pressure, take wickets and restrict the opposition’s strong batting line-up will probably come out on top.
