T20 World Cup 2021, England vs Australia: 3 player battles to watch out for
One of the blockbuster games of the T20 World Cup on Saturday (October 23) is the clash between two stalwart sides — England and West Indies. The last time both sides met on the same platform, it was Carlos Brathwaite taking the Windies home in a humdinger of a finale at Kolkata in 2016.
Now, both sides meet in what promises to be one of the most epic tussles of the Super 12s, partly due to the history both sides have.
And in a team filled with superstars in their own right, the player battles are intriguing. Ahead of their T20 World Cup opener clash in Dubai, we take a look at some of the key player match-ups.
#1 Chris Gayle vs David Willey in the T20 World Cup
David Willey's career has seen a resurgence of sorts and in the absence of Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer, the English pacer has become key to Eoin Morgan's plans.
Up against him will be the Universe Boss himself. He may not be the impactful player he once was, but at 42, he still has enough cricket left in him to cause some serious damage.
In 2021, Chris Gayle has scored 227 runs in 16 T20Is, averaging 17.46 and at a strike rate of 117.61, the numbers may not be convincing, but his exit from the IPL midway to prep for the T20 World Cup just hints at Gaylestorm heading our way.
#2 Jason Roy vs Ravi Rampaul
Ravi Rampaul may have fewer wickets to show for in T20 World Cup warm-up games, but his presence shows he's still a force to be reckoned with in the shorter format.
He will attempt to take down Jason Roy, England's hard-hitting bat who will look for some starts himself after scores of 17 and 0 in the warm-ups. Both teams will be banking on Roy and Rampaul to get them off to scintillating starts.
#3 Moeen Ali vs Kieron Pollard
Pollard's brute strength vs Moeen Ali's guile forms one of the middle-order showdowns of the match. Ali comes on the back of an in IPL winning run with the Chennai Super Kings, but he's yet to be the tweaker that he once was with the ball.
Pollard didn't have much to show for in the IPL save for the 34-ball 87* against Chennai makes him one of the most unpredictable stars to watch out for. With Andre Russell still working his way to full fitness, a lot rests on Pollar's shoulders in the T20 World Cup.