T20 World Cup 2021: 3 players to watch out for in the England v Australia match
Two cricketing heavyweights in England and Australia will go head-to-head against each other in Match 26 of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2021. The encounter will be played at the Dubai International Stadium on Saturday (October 30).
Both teams have started their T20 WC campaign on a high, winning their first two games. England comprehensively beat defending champions West Indies by six wickets. They followed it up with another impressive victory against Bangladesh.
The Aussies, on the other hand, defeated South Africa in the opening fixture of the Super 12s. They then came out on top against Sri Lanka in Dubai as well.
English bowlers have done exceptionally well and have put on a show in their first two matches. In their first encounter, Morgan's men cramped defending champions West Indies for a paltry 55 runs.
Bangladeshi batters also didn't find it easy against the English bowling unit, as the latter restricted the former to 124/9 before winning comprehensively by eight wickets in Abu Dhabi. Top-order batters Jason Roy and Dawid Malan also spent some quality time in the middle during that game against Bangladesh.
For Australia, the pace trio - Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazelwood, and Pat Cummins - have looked lethal in their first two encounters. Leg-spinner Adam Zampa has also complemented his pacers well.
Similar to England, Australia have also bowled first in both of their matches and restricted the opposition to mediocre scores. David Warner's match-winning innings against Sri Lanka would also give Aaron Finch enough confidence heading towards the English challenge.
The age-old rivals have played 19 T20Is against each other, with Australia winning ten of those. England have come out on top on eight occasions, with one match not producing any result. The two teams have met twice in the ICC T20 World Cup, with both sides pocketing one win each. On that note, let's look at three players to watch out for when England face Australia on Saturday.
#3 Glenn Maxwell (Australia)
Glenn Maxwell is probably the main 'X-factor' in the Aussie batting line-up. The flamboyant hard-hitting batter was one of the most impactful players in the IPL 2021. Once considered a hit-and-miss player, Maxwell has shown sheer consistency throughout the year.
With his magnificent power and game-changing abilities, Justin Langer will hope Glenn Maxwell can be the difference-maker for the Aussies in the ongoing T20 World Cup.
Although the right-hander didn't have the best of games versus Sri Lanka, he certainly played his part in the triumph against South Africa.
With his stellar record against England, Maxwell will be itching to do well against them. In 12 T20Is against the English, the 33-year old has amassed 293 runs, including a 103* at Hobart in 2018.
His outstanding strike rate of 148 goes to show how much he enjoys playing against the English bowling attack. It remains to be seen how the Aussie batting all-rounder will fare against the in-form English bowlers in the T20 World Cup 2021.
#2 Jos Buttler (England)
The dangerous Jos Buttler perfectly compliments the English team's attributes of counter-attacking batsmanship. The hard-hitting right-hander seems to have everything to succeed in the shorter formats of the game.
He started the T20 WC campaign with a crucial unbeaten knock of 24 runs against the West Indies. Despite chasing a straightforward 55 for victory, the English team lost four wickets inside the powerplay. However, a composed innings from Buttler saved his side from any kind of humiliation.
Buttler, 31, loves batting against Australia. In fact, he's the highest English run-scorer against the Men in Yellow in T20Is. In 11 innings, the wicket-keeper has amassed as many as 321 runs, including a couple of half-centuries, at a healthy average of 32.10.
Buttler will again be itching to do well against the same opposition today in Dubai.
#1 Aaron Finch (Australia)
From one lethal opening batter to another, Aaron Finch is surely one of the most destructive openers in world cricket right now.
After a poor outing in the first match against the Proteas, the Australian skipper displayed the blistering side of his game against the Lankan bowlers. Finch smashed five boundaries and a couple of sixes on his way 37 runs in just 23 deliveries. His strike rate was 160 in that particular game.
Along with southpaw David Warner, Aaron Finch is also one to watch out for in the Eng-Aus clash today. The right-hander is Australia's highest run-getter against England in T20Is.
His massive 550 runs in 12 innings also includes a century against England. What's more astounding to note is that Finch averages 61 runs per match and has a colossal strike rate of almost 175 against the current ODI World Champions. The Australia skipper will hope to maintain his terrific record against the Eoin Morgan-led side on Saturday as well.