ENG vs AUS, 3rd ODI – Match Prediction: Who will win the match, England or Australia?

Australia find themselves in dire straits having lost their opening two matches versus arch-rivals England in London and Cardiff respectively. Tim Paine came into the series, being under the pump and the journey has only become complicated as the matches have progressed. There have been some signs of individual brilliance from the team like that of Shaun Marsh’s century.

However, they haven’t been able to string together performances as a unit and that has been a major roadblock in their road to redemption. In other matches, they had the opportunity to choke their opponents, unfortunately, they couldn’t in either of the contests. The third ODI at Nottingham is not only a must-win encounter for the Men in Yellow but also a test of character for Paine’s boys.

Pitch and Conditions

The match will be staged at the Trent Bridge in Nottingham where the pitch is traditionally known to assist the seamers more often than not. England will definitely want to put runs on the board and exert pressure on the erratic Australian lineup. The atmosphere is expected to be nice and cool with a fair amount of wind around and the players won’t be in for a tough day as far as the ambiance is concerned.

Team Combination

England

Jason Roy and Johnny Bairstow are the openers. Roy notched a century, but Bairstow hasn’t been able to convert the starts in big scores. Alex Hales will want to make amends for a lackluster outing thus far. Joe Root remains to be a vital cog in the lineup. Eoin Morgan may miss out in the next match and in that scenario, Buttler, who played a stupendous knock in Cardiff, will be the interim captain.

The bowling lineup is a formidable one. The spinners in Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali have been tough nuts to crack and their role will again be one to watch out for in the all-important encounter. The fast bowlers in Liam Plunkett, Mark Wood, and David Willey have also been decent and they will also need to support the tweakers and make inroads.

Predicted XI

Jason Roy, Johnny Bairstow, Alex Hales, Joe Root, Jos Buttler (capt & wk), Sam Billings, Moeen Ali, David Willey, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood

Australia

The Aussies made two changes in the last match and they didn’t quite work out. They may not make any alterations this time around. Travis Head and D’Arcy Short are the opening batsmen with Shaun Marsh, who has been in prime form, to follow. Marcus Stoinis and Aaron Finch are the men to shoulder the middle order. Tim Paine, Glenn Maxwell and Ashton Agar also need to fire.

The bowlers have been reasonable, but haven’t been consistent enough to tie down the English batsmen. Jhy Richardson was drafted in the last match and he churned out two crucial wickets that may be enough for him to get another chance. Andrew Tye and Kane Richardson are the other pacemen. Glen Maxwell and Ashton Agar are the spinners in the lineup.

Predicted XI

Travis Head, D’Arcy Short, Shaun Marsh, Marcus Stoinis, Aaron Finch, Tim Paine, Glenn Maxwell, Ashton Agar, Andrew Tye, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson

Probable Top Performers

Johnny Bairstow (England), Travis Head (Australia)

Head to Head

Matches – 144, England – 58, Australia – 81, Tie – 2, N/R – 3

Timing of the match: 18:30 IST, 13:00 GMT

Broadcast Details

TV: Sony Six, Sony SIX HD

Online Streaming: Sony LIV

The prediction is for England to win the match and take an unassailable lead of 3-0 against the Aussies.