Like cricket fans the world over, SportsAdda’s brand ambassador Brett Lee is looking forward to the upcoming ODI series between Australia and England. The three-match ODI series between the two teams will take place in Manchester and is slated to get underway from Friday, September 11. England have been in good form of late, having gotten the better of West Indies, Ireland, Pakistan and most recently Australia, across various formats.
When asked who will come out on top in the upcoming ODI series, Lee predicted a 2-1 win in favour of Australia while picking out a couple of key performers from both sides. Here, we have a look at the players who Lee has picked as the top-scorer and leading wicket-taker from each team.
Top-scorers
Aaron Finch
Australia’s captain in limited-overs cricket, Aaron Finch has always enjoyed playing against the English and will back himself to have an impact at the top of the order. An aggressive and powerful batsman, seven of Finch’s 16 ODI centuries have come against England and his average of 50.12 against them is better than his career average of 41.02. He also looked in good form during his 37-ball 53 in the recent practice match between Finch XI v Cummins XI at the Ageas Rose Bowl in Southampton and will be keen to kick on.
Jos Buttler
The English wicket-keeper has been in good nick of late and has silenced a few of his critics after strong performances against Pakistan in the Tests before going on to deliver a match-winning performance in the second match of recently-concluded T20I series. Buttler, who will be back refreshed after sitting out the third T20I to visit his family, will return refreshed and eager to carry his form into the ODIs against Australia. A destructive batsman who loves to clear the boundary ropes and attack opposition bowlers, Buttler can take heart from the fact that he averages 46.30 – better than his career average of 40.88 – against Australia and has scored two of his nine tons in ODIs against them.
Leading wicket-takers
Pat Cummins
Pat Cummins and the English batsmen are no strangers to one another, having been involved in some competitive battles in the past like the most recent Ashes tour during which the Australian pacer excelled. Cummins, though, will be aware that he can do much more for the Aussies in ODIs against England than he has done in the past. That said, he still boasts a decent average of 29.96 against them and has 23 English scalps in ODIs to his name.
Jofra Archer
A game-changer in any format, English pacer Jofra Archer is Lee’s tip for being the hosts’ biggest threat with the ball. The Australian batsmen will be well aware of what Jofra’s capable of, having dealt with him during the last Ashes. However, many of the Australian batsmen would not have been involved back then, making Archer a key wicket-taking and partnership breaking option. Expect Archer to fire on all cylinders when the Aussies come calling.
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Feature image courtesy: AFP / Jewel Samad
