ICC World Cup 2019: Match 26, Australia vs Bangladesh, Match Prediction – Weather Report, Pitch Conditions, Playing XIs and Live Streaming Details

On Monday, Bangladesh dominated the Windies in Taunton and won by seven wickets with 51 deliveries to spare. Shakib Al Hasan’s all-round show turned out to be too hot to handle for the Caribbean team. The Tigers are currently placed fifth in the points table with five points from as many matches. Their next match-up is against Australia at the Trent Bridge in Nottingham will be a challenging one.

The Aussies, on the other hand, have been a dominant force and are placed second in the table with four victories from five matches. Barring their game versus India in London, Aaron Finch and Co have hardly put a foot wrong. Out of 20 ODIs against the mighty Aussies, Bangladesh has won only one and lost 18. However, the Tigers have come a long way and Australia can’t afford to undermine them.

Weather Report

The weather isn’t forecast to be a great one for cricket. There are chances of heavy rain from morning 11 AM to evening at 7 PM. The cloud cover will be there throughout and the sun is unlikely to make its way out. The atmosphere will be cool with the temperature between 15 and 18 degrees Celsius. The humidity won’t be on the higher side either.

Pitch Report

The pitch in Nottingham has turned out to be an excellent one of batting thus far. However, there is a significant amount of bounce on the strip for the fast bowlers. Under overcast conditions, batsmen need to be a bit wary, especially while facing the seamers. The deck has also favoured the team, batting first and hence, it won’t be a surprise if the teams opt to bat first.

Playing combinations

Australia

The Aussies are most likely to bring in all-rounder Marcus Stoinis in place of Shaun Marsh. Stoinis has recovered from the side strain, he batted and bowled in the practice session. His inclusion also means that the Aussies get the extra bowling option. Nathan Lyon may come in place of left-arm speedster Jason Behrendorff, who didn’t have the greatest of days against the Lankans.

Both David Warner and Aaron Finch have been in red-hot form and they’ll be looking to give Australia another good start. Usman Khawaja’s form has been a bit of a worry. Steve Smith has been amongst the runs as well. Glenn Maxwell and Alex Carey can also tonk the leather hard. In the bowling department, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins have been the most effective with 13 and 11 wickets respectively.

Probable XI

David Warner, Aaron Finch (C), Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Kane Richardson, Nathan Lyon

Bangladesh

The Tigers won’t want to tinker with their winning combination. The decision to drop Mohammad Mithun and include Liton Das turned out to be a masterstroke. Tamim Iqbal came into his own in the previous match, scoring 48 under pressure. But the left-handed Soumya Sarkar needs to be a bit more consistent after getting on 98 runs in four matches at an average of 24.50.

Shakib Al Hasan needs to be on top of his game, both with bat and ball. Bangladesh’s fate will depend a lot on how he delivers. On the bowling front, Mohammad Saifuddin needs to take care of his economy rate, which is currently at 7.29, though he has nine wickets to his name. Mustafizur Rahman bowling well is a big positive for the Tigers. Skipper Mashrafe will also wish to pick up some wickets.

Probable XI

Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Liton Das, Mahmudullah, Mosaddek Hossain, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mashrafe Mortaza (C), Mustafizur Rahman

Probable Top Performer

Aaron Finch – Australia| Shakib Al Hasan – Bangladesh

Broadcast Details

TV – Star Sports

Online– Hotstar

Match Timings – 15:00 IST; 10:30 local

The prediction is for the team, batting first to win the match.