Australia vs England 2018 ODIs: 5 player battles to watch out for

After being demolished in the Test matches, the England team finally had something to smile about when they defeated Cricket Australia XI in the warm-up match. While this will certainly reinvigorate the English squad, what remains to be seen is whether or not, they carry this form into the ODIs.

The Australian squad, on the other hand, was given a fresh dose of pedigree when Cameron White was roped into the squad replacing the injured Chris Lynn.

England seem to be a confident ODI outfit and hence, the upcoming series has all the bearings to be a keenly contested contest.

Here in this slider, we take a look at five player battles which might determine the outcome of the series.

#5 Mitchell Starc vs Alex Hales

Alex Hales makes a comeback in international cricket after the infamous Ben Stokes incident and would love to make a point to all the detractors.

He has been a critical cog in England's recent run of successes in coloured clothing and with his belligerence at the top of the order, more often than not, sets the tone for the rest of batting.

However, he will up against Mitchell Starc, who is arguably the best bowler with the white ball currently and hence his work will be cut out.

Starc gave ample glimpse of his worth in the Tests, but he is a different beast altogether with the white nut, and on his day can blow away batting orders.