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Australia vs England ODI series looks unpredictable

27th August, 2015
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Starcy's been struggling to get the ball to talk. (AFP, Ian Kington)
Expert
27th August, 2015
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Australia are comfortably the best ODI side in the world, having stormed to a World Cup win just months ago. England, meanwhile, are a perennially poor 50-over outfit and were a laughing stock at that tournament.

Yet the upcoming five-match series between these teams is very difficult to pick, with both nations fielding line-ups massively different to those seen at the World Cup.

For various reasons, gone from Australia’s World Cup winning side are captain Michael Clarke, keeper Brad Haddin, opening batsman Aaron Finch, key pacemen Mitchell Johnson and Josh Hazlewood, and, most crucially, the world’s best ODI all-rounder James Faulkner.

From their World Cup line-up, England have shed supreme batsman Joe Root, veteran quicks Stuart Broad and James Anderson, experienced batsman Ian Bell and top order player Gary Ballance.

After years of fielding a safe side which played antiquated, conservative ODI cricket, England finally have a line-up capable of producing exhilarating cricket.

Their five-match series against New Zealand prior to the Ashes was one of the most dramatic and engrossing seen between any two sides in years. The good will it spawned among the English public was lapped up by the home players, many of whom had limited exposure to the spotlight of international cricket.

Opposed to the talent-stacked and ultra-aggressive Kiwis, England relished the challenge and played largely without fear or restraint. Most noticeably, their batting was unrecognisable from the plodding efforts so often witnessed when the side was littered with players better suited to Tests like Bell, Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott.

In Jason Roy and Alex Hales they have a dynamic opening pair capable of scorching the outfield and peppering the crowd with sixes. While both still have a lot to prove as ODI batsmen their cavalier approaches will challenge Australia’s bowling.

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This approach is mirrored by the likes of batsman Sam Billings and all-rounders Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali, with more cultured styles provided by captain Eoin Morgan and the sturdy James Taylor.

Among the England bowlers, Australia have seen a bit of Steven Finn with the white ball but are unfamiliar with the offerings of quicks David Willey and Mark Wood, and leggie Adil Rashid. Crucially, England’s line-up is punctuated by players who have not been repeatedly bullied by Australians in coloured clothing.

Over the past five years, England have a shocking 8-16 win-loss record against Australia in the ODI format. The last time they hosted Australia in an ODI series, after the 2013 Ashes, the visitors triumphed 2-1 with two matches called off due to rain.

But these are two totally different teams, with England having tailored their unit to the format and Australia without four members of their first-choice XI.

While the tourists undoubtedly will miss the all-round brilliance of Faulkner, the intimidation factor of Johnson, the frugalness of Hazlewood and the familiarity of Finch’s opening partnership with Warner, they still will field a very strong team.

For many years now Australia have had phenomenal depth of talent in 50-over cricket.

This is underlined by the fact that, even with six players missing from the World Cup winning XI, there still was no room in this squad for prolific batsman Usman Khawaja, who has 2378 runs at an average of 48 in List A cricket.

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The side Australia fielded for their ODI against Ireland yesterday had a very deep batting line-up, with keeper Matthew Wade listed at eight. It is Australia’s bowling which looks more vulnerable in this series against England.

Johnson may have struggled in the Ashes but he remains one of the elite ODI bowlers in the world, while Hazlewood’s accuracy and crafty varieties made him the perfect partner for Mitchell Starc and Johnson.

No player poses a greater threat to England than Starc. Indisputably the best ODI bowler in the world, Starc is fresh from a jaw-dropping World Cup in which he routinely scythed through top orders with his express pace and late swing.

The new English batsmen have never encountered a bowler like him. That will be just one of many fresh and fascinating battles which will unfold over the next two weeks. It shapes as a surprising and engrossing series.

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