ICC World Cup 2019 – Match 4: AFG vs AUS – Australia Predicted Playing XI

Dropping some of the players who have been consistently performing well won't be easy for the management.

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Dropping some of the players who have been consistently performing well won't be easy for the management.
Australia
Australia. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Until a few months ago, Australia was really struggling and no one really even backed them to finish in the top four. The side was surrounded by numerous problems and the performances in limited-overs cricket were nothing less than hopeless. But the defending champions have managed to miraculously turn things around in a short while. The series win against India increased their confidence levels manifold.

Since then, the team has managed to pick itself up tremendously and they are the tournament favourites all of a sudden. The side even managed to defeat England in the warm-up game and sent out a warning for all the other teams. Their first challenge is relatively an easier one for them as they take on Afghanistan. However, the bigger challenge will be to fit both Steve Smith and David Warner in the top four. In the process, they will also have to drop one of their in-form players.

Here is the Predicted Playing XI for Australia:

Openers (David Warner, Usman Khawaja)

Usman Khawaja
Usman Khawaja. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

David Warner is a must as an opener for Australia. He doesn’t really fit in at the number three spot and can make the maximum impact when he opens the innings. The left-hander has had troubles with his glutes but was seen practising in the nets. He doesn’t seem to have many problems while batting and running in straight lines. The troubles begin for him when he will take the field. However, he has been declared fit for this game and is set to be back officially in the yellow jersey.

As the second opener, Australia has got to pick between Aaron Finch and Usman Khawaja. The left-hander could be a good option to bat at this position as he has clearly shown the results. Finch is a little tentative against the swinging ball and it will be good to slot him down the order. Warner, being the aggressive player that he is, gives Khawaja the required time to settle in and then set the base to get to a big score. If Warner doesn’t play, Finch will open the innings.

Middle Order (Steve Smith, Aaron Finch (c), Alex Carey (wk))

Steve Smith
Steve Smith. (Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images)

Shaun Marsh might be the player who could be dropped from the eleven keeping the balance of the team in mind. This will give the management the option to send Steve Smith out to bat at number three. He scored a century in the warm-up game against England and did exceptionally well. He is hungrier than ever to score runs and batting at three will give him the luxury of facing more balls and taking some time to settle in.

Aaron Finch, batting at four, is a good option. The Australian skipper is not new to this position and can play aggressive cricket right from the start. As the ball gets old, it wouldn’t swing much and he can play his natural game. In case they lose some quick wickets, he can also consolidate and take the responsibility to get his team to a good total. Alex Carey will mostly bat at seven and will take the responsibility of finishing the innings. He shouldn’t take much time to settle in and must get going right from ball one.

All Rounders (Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell)

Marcus Stoinis
Marcus Stoinis. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell will be the two all-rounders in this eleven. The former needs to up the ante with the bat and score runs at a good strike rate through the middle overs. Even if he consumes a few balls early on, he can make up for it with the big hits in the later stages of his innings. Stoinis will also need to turn his arm around quite a bit and deliver the goods for his team as Australia might play with only four frontline bowlers.

Glenn Maxwell could be the floater in this line-up. Depending upon the situation of the game, he can switch gears and can be the game changer for the Aussies. If he can pick his shots wisely, he will be an unstoppable force in the tournament. His off-spin bowling could come handy to stop the left-handed batsmen in the opposition.

Bowlers (Pat Cummins, Jason Behrendorff, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa)

Adam Zampa
Adam Zampa. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

Picking the bowlers will be another tough task for Australia. For the opening game, they might give a chance to Jason Behrendorff to give him the right exposure ahead of the big games. Mitchell Starc was back in action in the warm-up match and needs more match practice under his belt. Thus, he is likely to get the nod ahead.

Australia might look to rest Nathan Coulter-Nile for this match and they will possibly pick Pat Cummins in the eleven. Looking at the way things panned out in the first two matches, the management might drop the idea of playing both the spinners in the eleven and could go ahead with Adam Zampa considering that there aren’t too many left-handers in the opposition.

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