Fantasy XI Prediction, teams, captain, toss and venue analysis: ENGLAND vs AUSTRALIA 3rd T20I

England confidently chased down a total of 194 against Australia to set up a mouth-watering deciding match for this three-match T20I series, to be played at Manchester’s Old Trafford ground. The series has swung back and forth after Australia won the opening match of the series, and both teams will be hungry to take this series win over their rivals. Both teams are boasting plenty of firepower, and also a stock of exciting young talent who have begun to come good in this series.

LAST FIVE MATCHES RESULTS

ENGLAND: L W L L W

AUSTRALIA: W W W W L

LIKELY PLAYING XIs

ENGLAND 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 XI

Batters: 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 T20I

INNINGS: 39

RUNS: 815

AVERAGE: 26.29

STRIKE RATE: 151.49

50s/100s: 2/1

2. ADIL RASHID

Adil 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 T20I

INNINGS - 112

WICKETS - 122

STRIKE RATE – 20.08

ECONOMY RATE – 7.33

AVERAGE – 24.54

Players who can make a difference (ENGLAND)

1. Phil Salt

Phil Salt has provided England with two blistering starts, and will be seeking a big score in the third match at Old Trafford.

2. Jacob Bethell

Youngster 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 T20I

INNINGS - 20

WICKETS - 26

STRIKE RATE – 14.12

ECONOMY RATE – 9.01

AVERAGE – 21.19

2. TRAVIS HEAD

Travis 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 T20I

INNINGS - 37

RUNS - 1093

AVERAGE – 33.12

STRIKE RATE – 160.50

50s/100s – 5/0

Players who can make a difference (AUSTRALIA)

1. Josh Inglis

Joshua 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-McGurk

Jake 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.

VENUE AND PITCH

Manchester’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 PREDICTION

The 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 XI

Batters: 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