Pat Cummins said on match eve that he didn’t envisage too many surprises at selection and that has been confirmed at the toss.
It’s just the two forced changes for the Aussies, with Marcus Stoinis and Cameron Green replacing Glenn Maxwell (concussion) and Mitch Marsh (family reasons).
Stoinis had missed Australia’s last two matches with a calf niggle.
With Marsh out, Steve Smith returns to his preferred spot at No. 3, with Marnus Labuschagne also moving up a spot to No. 4.
Josh Inglis is listed at No. 5, followed by Green and Stoinis although the batting order is particularly fluid in one-day cricket.
Maxwell ramped up his training last night as he recovers from the golf course mishap that ruled him out of this match.
England has asked Australia to bat first after winning the toss.
AUSTRALIAN INNINGS
9.16PM: INGLIS GONE
Josh Inglis’ stay is a short one, out trying to reverse Adil Rashid over the in field.
All he could do was smack the ball straight to Moeen Ali at backward point.
Cameron Green’s chance arrives with Australia on the ropes.
“As far as I’m concerned, no need to play that shot,” says Ricky Ponting.
9.10PM: SMITH FALLS TO RASHID
Just as Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith’s steady partnership was going up a gear, Adil Rashid draws Smith into a false shot and has him caught for 44 off 52 balls.
Josh Inglis joins Labuschagne in the middle with Australia badly needing another big partnership.
“It’s going to be a hard wicket to start on,” says Ricky Ponting in commentary.
8:51PM: AUSSIES FIND THEIR GROOVE
Australia is gradually building a nice partnership, but it has taken a while for Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne to get the ball rolling, with Australia now 2-88 after 18 overs, after notching up a 50 partnership. The English are down a review, after going upstairs for an LBW appeal, but unlike their first review, this one was clearly missing the stumps.
8PM: WARNER HOLES OUT
Chris Woakes has done it again.
A slow ball does the trick, drawing David Warner into a false shot as he looks to go big.
Warner instead skies the ball to David Willey at backward square leg who completes a good catch.
Australia is 2-38 and the pressure is on Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne — two players who have had their spots in this line-up questioned.
7.54PM: PRAISE MARAIS ERAMUS
Umpire Marais Erasmus comes to the rescue by giving David Warner not out lbw off David Willey.
Jos Buttler asks for a review but it comes back umpire’s call on height and Warner survives.
The initial suspicion was there was an inside edge but that wasn’t the case.
7.39PM: WOAKES END’S HEAD INNINGS
There’s one of the big wickets England wanted early.
Travis Head tries to guide a Chris Woakes delivery fine of the slip but only succeeds in angling it straight to Joe Root.
Australia is 1-11 in the second over and David Warner is yet to face a ball.
STOKES CONCEDES ENGLAND’S WORLD CUP DEFENCE A DISASTER
AFP
England’s Ben Stokes on Friday conceded that “nothing’s worked” in a disastrous World Cup campaign.
The defending champions have lost five of their six matches to lie bottom of the 10-team table and another defeat on Saturday in Ahmedabad against arch rivals Australia will end even their slimmest hopes of squeezing into the semi-finals.
“I think the problem is that we’ve been crap. To be honest with you, we’ve been crap,” Stokes said.
“Everything we’ve tried throughout this World Cup, through trying to put pressure back onto the opposition in a way in which we know, or trying to soak up the pressure in a different way, which we know we’ve done before and been successful with, it’s just not worked.”
Stokes added: “Every opportunity that we’ve had in front of us where we feel like we can take control of the game, the opposition’s managed to get it back towards them. And we’ve just not been able to put a full game together.”
England have brushed aside any talk of an unlikely mathematical equation of making the final four if they win their remaining three matches.
But a clash with five-time champions Australia does excite Stokes and his teammates, three months after an acrimonious Ashes series ended 2-2.
“England-Australia in any sport whenever the two nations play against each it’s always a big occasion,” said Stokes.
After facing Australia, the defending champions still have to play the Netherland in Pune on November 8 and Pakistan at Kolkata on November 11.
“We’ve had a disastrous World Cup and there’s no point sugar-coating that because it’s the truth. But we know these last three games, for us, we’ve got a lot to play for,” said Stokes.
“I think the biggest thing that we’ve got to play for is obviously the pride of what it is to put the three lions on your chest, walking out onto the field every time is a very special occasion and something that we value very highly.”
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