ICC World Cup 2019 – 2nd Semi-Final: AUS vs ENG – England Predicted Playing XI

After drifting apart slightly midway through the tournament which put their knockout chances under threat, England made a strong comeback in the last few games. In their previous two outings, they defeated both India and New Zealand to secure the third spot on the points table. The hosts look to be the strongest contenders for the title and their recent performances indicate the same.

England will be taking on Australia in the second semi-final of the World Cup 2019. The hosts haven’t got many problems with their eleven and look quite sorted. However, it is all about holding onto their nerves in this crucial stage of the tournament and proceeding one step forward.

Here is the Predicted Playing XI for England

Openers (Jonny Bairstow, Jason Roy)

England’s chances in the semi-final will predominantly depend upon the way their openers fare. Jonny Bairstow has been excellent in the last two games and scored two consecutive hundreds. He’d clearly want it to make it a hat-trick when he plays the arch-rivals.

Jason Roy is also in good form. He’s got into the 60s on successive occasions in the previous two games. However, he has failed to convert that start into a big hundred. With the kind of form that he is in, that shouldn’t be a big problem and Roy will be eyeing the triple-digits in the upcoming game.

Middle Order (Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (c), Jos Buttler (wk)

Joe Root will continue at number three. His role is to hold the batting together and get a good score. Root should back his natural game and shouldn’t fancy any cheeky shots. England’s chances of winning the game will increase significantly if he stays in the middle till the end of the 50th over.

The form of Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler has been a slight bit of concern. These two players, for all the talent that they’ve got, haven’t backed it up with good performances of late. It is a wonderful opportunity for them both to reclaim their stake and there can’t be a better stage than this one. They can turn the tables upside down once they get going.

All Rounders (Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes)

Ben Stokes has done an excellent job with the bat. He might have struggled in the last game against New Zealand. But with the kind of form that he is in, he should overcome that bad performance and come back strong in the semi-final. England hasn’t used him much with the ball but has done well whenever he got the opportunity. Chris Woakes will open the bowling for his team and even adds a great bit of depth to the batting. He is someone who can strike big right from the first ball.

Bowlers (Liam Plunkett, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood)

England is not likely to make any changes to the bowling attack either. Liam Plunkett has performed extremely well through the middle overs with the ball. His variations are highly effective and he does a fair job with the bat as well. Jofra Archer, on his day, is a massive force to reckon with and can be unstoppable. His team will hope that it will be one of such days when they play Australia.

The management has backed Adil Rashid extensively and will continue to do so. Even though he is slightly expensive, Rashid picks up some important wickets. Mark Wood was brilliant against New Zealand and picked up a three-wicket haul. Similar exploits are expected of him once again.