England made a stunning comeback to chase down a formidable total of 194 against Australia, setting the stage for a thrilling final match of the three-match T20I series at Manchester’s Old Trafford ground. The series has been a rollercoaster ride, with Australia winning the opening match, but England bouncing back strongly. Both teams are now determined to clinch the series victory and bragging rights over their arch-rivals. The teams are packed with power hitters and promising young talents who have been making their mark in this series, adding an extra element of excitement to the upcoming showdown.
LAST FIVE MATCHES RESULTS
ENGLAND: L W L L W
AUSTRALIA: W W W W L
LIKELY PLAYING XIsENGLAND likely XI
Batters: Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Overton
Allrounders: Will Jacks, Sam Curran
Wicketkeeper: Phil Salt, Jordan Cox
Bowlers: Adil Rashid, Reece Topley, Brydon Carse, Saqib Mahmood
AUSTRALIA likely XIBatters: Travis Head, Tim David, Jake Fraser-McGurk
Allrounders: Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Cooper Connelly
Wicketkeeper: Josh Inglis
Bowlers: Sean Abbott, Adam Zampa
STATISTICAL PERFORMANCE (ENGLAND)1. LIAM LIVINGSTONE
Liam Livingstone was the hero with the bat in the previous match. He is the top scorer in this series with 124 runs, and has 5 wickets in the two matches as well. He is the definite hot pick.
LIAM LIVINGSTONE IN T20IINNINGS: 39RUNS: 815AVERAGE: 26.29STRIKE RATE: 151.4950s/100s: 2/12. ADIL RASHIDAdil Rashid has been typically reliable and dangerous in the middle overs, taking important wickets. Spin has been key for England so far this series.
ADIL RASHID IN T20IINNINGS - 112WICKETS - 122STRIKE RATE – 20.08 ECONOMY RATE – 7.33AVERAGE – 24.54Players who can make a difference (ENGLAND)1. Phil SaltPhil Salt has provided England with two blistering starts, and will be seeking a big score in the third match at Old Trafford.
2. Jacob BethellYoungster Jacob Bethell impressed in the second T20I, scoring 44 runs and doing particularly well against Adam Zampa. England will want to keep his strong rise going.
STATISTICAL PERFORMANCE (AUSTRALIA) 1. SEAN ABBOTT
Sean Abbott has been in strong form with the ball with 5 wickets in this series, and is very familiar with the English conditions this summer.
SEAN ABBOTT IN T20IINNINGS - 20WICKETS - 26STRIKE RATE – 14.12ECONOMY RATE – 9.01AVERAGE – 21.192. TRAVIS HEADTravis Head has been typically flamboyant opening for Australia, scoring 31(14) in the second match to join his opening half-century. He is a consistent threat with bat.
TRAVIS HEAD IN T20IINNINGS - 37RUNS - 1093AVERAGE – 33.12STRIKE RATE – 160.5050s/100s – 5/0Players who can make a difference (AUSTRALIA)1. Josh InglisJoshua Inglis is showing excellent quality with bat for Australia, following up his century against Scotland with 79 runs in this series at a quickfire rate.
2. Jake Fraser-McGurkJake Fraser-McGurk was recalled into the lineup and took his chances batting at number three, scoring a good half-century. One of the most exciting upcoming batters in world cricket, Australia will want his development to continue.
TEAMS HEAD TO HEAD RECORD
Old rivals England and Australia continue to be neck-and-neck in this format, with England not only levelling the series but also the overall head-to-head record with Australia at 12 wins a-piece in 26 matches.
MATCHESENGLAND WONAUSTRALIA WONNO RESULT2612122VENUE AND PITCHManchester’s Old Trafford will host the finale of this high-stakes series in what is sure to be a thriller. Old Trafford has been a ground which has plenty on offer for all departments of the game, with an average first innings score of 168 in nine completed matches at this venue. The wickets are shared evenly between seam and spin, with teams scoring 180+ fairly consistently at the same time.
MATCH PREDICTIONThe series has been very evenly balanced so far, with both matches being tightly contested. The decider is a difficult match to call, with both teams packing the firepower to take the game away or remain in contention throughout their innings. For both teams, powerplay wickets will be the key to maintains coring rate, while the middle overs spinners have played a key role. Momentum and home conditions gives England a very slight edge, by 60%.
FANTASY XIBatters: Travis Head, Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Jake Fraser-McGurk
Wicketkeepers: Phil Salt, Josh Inglis
All-rounders: Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Will Jacks
Bowlers: Sean Abbott, Adam Zampa, Adil Rashid
Backup players:Wicketkeeper: Jordan Cox
All-rounder: Cameron Green
Bowler: Saqib Mahmood
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