India and Australia will face each other on Sunday in the standout clash of World Cup 2019 so far. The two-time champions, led by Virat Kohli for the first time in a 50-over World Cup, will be desperate to lay down a marker against the the five-time World Champions.
The two teams have had quite the history in ICC World Cup contests but the Australians are streets ahead in the head to head count. India and Australia have clashed 11 times in ICC's showpiece event with the latter coming up trumps on eight occasions. However, in the past five editions of the tournament, India are the only team to have denied the Australians the trophy, in 2011 on home soil.
India began their campaign with a comprehensive six-wicket win over South Africa, with Rohit Sharma scoring an unbeaten century, and the pair of Yuzvendra Chahal and Jasprit Bumrah getting the job done with the ball.
Australia, on their part, got the better of Afghanistan in their first match and then fought off a stiff challenge from the West Indies to claim full points in their second.
The match will see some mouthwatering matchups, none bigger than the clash between Virat Kohli and Mitchell Starc.
Virat Kohli is the world's top-ranked batsman in one-day internationals and Tests while Starc is Australia's left-arm pace spearhead.
Kohli was out for just 18 in India's opening game in Southampton but averages more than 53 against Australia in ODIs. Starc, who took five wickets in Australia's win over the West Indies, will be handed the responsibility of taking early wickets, with Kohli the prized scalp.
India, though, have a pace phenom of their own in the form number-one ODI bowler Jasprit Bumrah whose clash against swashbuckling Australian opener David Warner could have massive consequences.
After topping the run charts in the Indian T20 League, David Warner smashed an unbeaten 89 in Australia's opening World Cup win over Afghanistan.
But Jasprit Bumrah, who tops the ODI bowling rankings with 87 wickets in 50 matches, will pose a whole new challenge. Bumrah set the tone for India's win against South Africa on Wednesday with his two early strikes.
South African opener Hashim Amla called him "one hell of a bowler" after the 25-year-old quick sent the veteran batsman packing for six on a cloudy Southampton morning.
Feature image courtesy: AFP Photo/ Dibyangshu Sarkar
