England have the edge, but don’t rule out Australia
Australia haven’t won an ODI at Edgbaston in 26 years, though their tied game against South Africa on this ground got them into the final of the ‘99 World Cup. That was the time Herschelle Gibbs spilled a catch while trying to flick the ball up in celebration.
1) Australia’s sole-searching
Australian coach Justin Langer got his players to shed their shoes and socks and walk out barefoot on to the Edgbaston field for some “earthing". The Brits, however, seemed nonplussed by all this sole-searching before the semi-final. “Each to their own," replied England’s Joe Root when informed of the Aussie preparations. Langer, though, dismissed any talk of mumbo-jumbo. After all, this was just something he and Matthew Hayden used to do before a big game when they were opening for Australia.
2) Fighting fire with fire
Australia will be tempted to fight fire with fire to counter England’s power-hitters on Edgbaston’s batting-friendly wicket. They could move the in-form Alex Carey up the order to boost their strike rate, especially if openers David Warner and Aaron Finch don’t click. Left-hander Usman Khawaja has been ruled out with a hamstring injury. His replacement is Peter Handscomb, who’s a good player of spin but not a power-hitter. Steve Smith has also been slow. That makes the case for Glenn Maxwell and Carey to bat higher up.
3) England’s Achilles’ heel
As for England, it’s back to business as usual after their last two convincing wins over India and New Zealand. They will be looking forward to another positive start from openers Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow. But an early wicket or two could set the cat among the pigeons. Skipper Eoin Morgan hasn’t been among the runs, except against Afghanistan. Joe Root and Ben Stokes have got runs at a sedate rate, while Jos Butler has been sporadic. Chris Woakes and Moeen Ali didn’t contribute much with the bat when the chips were down. So, England could come under pressure, especially if they lose the toss and chase, which is their weakness.
4) Starc vs Archer
Mitchell Starc and Jofra Archer are among the leading wicket-takers of the tournament. The two quicks have different modus operandi. Archer has a steeply rising delivery with his wrist action, which surprises batsmen. Starc has a good short ball, too, but his wicket-taking weapon is the swinging yorker, especially with the old ball. Australia will look to him to balance the odds.
5) Big game experience
England should win this on paper, but you can never rule out the five-time world champions. England have never won an ICC event, finishing runners-up in three World Cups and two Champions Trophies. It’s a mental barrier that the hosts have to cross. No wonder the Aussies keep harping on England being the favourites.
Sumit Chakraberty is the author of 2019 Cricket World Cup Thinking Cap.
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