AUS v ENG 2018: Australia likely to attack England with the potent pace trio in Sydney ODI

England are currently leading the 5-match ODI series 2-0.

Australia's fast-bowling trio (from left) Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc | Brett Costello

The Ashes was disappointingly one-sided and the subsequent ODI series between Australia and England is pretty much following the same pattern, with the latter registering two thumping victories. England chased down Australia’s mammoth total of 305 with 5 wickets in hand in the first ODI at MCG and then backed it up with another solid 4-wicket victory at the Gabba.

Australia’s sudden change in fortune following the resounding Ashes triumph has certainly been an unexpected humbling experience. No wonder, the hosts are desperate to bounce back in the must-win third ODI at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

Australia are likely to be bolstered by the inclusions of speedsters Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, which means that Western Australian pacers Andrew Tye and exciting debutant Jhye Richardson will miss out playing in the Sydney ODI. And also for the first time since the fifth Ashes Test, the pace trio of Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins will take the field together.

While Hazlewood was given a rest in the first ODI before he fell ill and miss out the second one, Cummins who played in Melbourne was left out in Brisbane.

“If Hazlewood and Cummins come back on Sunday it’s important that we start well against the aggressive English line-up,” Australia pacer Mitchell Starc said while addressing the media ahead of the third ODI.

Starc also admitted that his transition from Test cricket to ODIs hasn’t been as smooth as he would have liked to.

“I haven’t played too much white ball cricket for a little while with a few injuries. It’s taken me a little bit longer than I would have liked with the new ball. As a senior player I’ve got to step up,” he added.

Australia's plight in ODI cricket, where the current World Champions have lost 9 of their last 10 completed matches, has been well documented but Starc reckons it’s all about doing your bit for the team.

“I think we’ve got the right formula, we’ve just got to get that performance together where we’ve been off with the start of our bowling innings, we haven’t put a full batting innings together,” he said.

“We’ve definitely got the personnel and the talent to do it, just that execution part with this group at the moment. We’ve got a chance to do that on Sunday and will try to come back into the series and win it 3-2,” concluded the lanky left-arm pacer.

 
 

By Salman Anjum - 20 Jan, 2018

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