England vs Australia 2013: 4th ODI - Match Preview

Eoin Morgan of England in action batting as Matthew Wade of Australia looks on.

With two of the five one-dayers washed out due to rain, there is still all to play for when hosts England take on a resurgent Australia in the fourth game at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff today.

Michael Clarke‘s return to form has given the luckless former world champions a massive boost in the batting department, while T20 skipper George Bailey has also been among the runs. In Aaron Finch, they have a world-class destructive opener, while the wily Shane Watson will look to get more runs under his belt in preparation for the Ashes series in November. The willow-wielders handled the tricky James Tredwell very well, and will look to attack him once again in today’s contest.

Left-arm pacer Mitchell Johnson seems to have returned to his wicket-taking ways, while Josh Hazlewood and Clint McKay have brought back the extra zip that was missing from the pace attack in recent times. Leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed has conceded a few runs, but has been quite immaculate with his line and length so far. James Faulkner has also done well with both bat and ball, and provides a very handy option if Clarke decides to send him in as a pinch-hitter.

England, on the other hand, have much to ponder upon given the sorry state of affairs in their current line-up. Apart from Kevin Pietersen, captain Eoin Morgan, wicket-keeper Jos Buttler and Ravi Bopara, the rest of the batting hasn’t fired. Jonathan Trott has looked patchy at best, while Michael Carberry has been a disaster at the top of the order. Joe Root, after being in the spotlight for both cricketing and non-cricketing reasons, has had a fairly quiet outing with the bat.

Morgan’s captaincy hasn’t exactly been up to par either. You don’t go in to every match with just three specialist bowlers. Boyd Rankin and Steven Finn have shone in patches, while Tredwell and newcomer Ben Stokes haven’t had too much luck yet. The likes of Luke Wright and Chris Jordan would be better options in case England decide to do away with Carberry or Stokes.

Jordan is a promising fast bowler, and will be the ideal foil to both Finn and Rankin. Wright, on the other hand, will provide the much needed all-round option for Morgan; he can hit the ball hard, bowls with a fair amount of accuracy, and is an outstanding fielder. If need be, he could open the innings with Root, allowing Pietersen and Trott to stabilize the middle order.

Conditions on offer

Cardiff is expected to have pleasant weather today. The pitch has played true to its character; it was a batting paradise during the first leg of the Champions Trophy, while offering something for the bowlers as well.

Prediction

In terms of balance, Australia hold the advantage. If they play their cards right, they can wrap up the series here itself. I’m hedging my bets on the Kangaroos to win a thriller!