ICC World Cup 2019 | Australia's predicted XI for the encounter against Sri Lanka
Before England completed their fourth game today, Australia were the only team to be afforded that luxury by the Rain Gods. With three wins in four games, the defending champions will know that another two points against Sri Lanka tomorrow will see them take over the top spot from New Zealand.
David Warner: With two fifties and a century in four games, David Warner has announced his comeback in quite some style. Sri Lanka will need to figure out a proper plan for him or else Australia are heading to the top of the table.Â
Aaron Finch: The Aussie skipper has been on and off so far in the tournament. A couple of half centuries have shown that he can negate the new ball but the inability to convert starts into big scores has haunted his team. But being the skipper, he knows his place in the team is as secure as it can be.
Steven Smith : After a good start as a No. 3 batsman, 69 against India, for the defending champions, Steve Smith looked out of sorts against Pakistan. Surprisingly, he decided to take on the bowlers early on in his innings when a little more patience would have yielded better results.Â
Usman Khawaja : Why he is there is a huge question for Australia, particularly, if Smith is going to be deployed as a No. 3. He has been dropped to as low as No.6 and cannot be blamed for not hitting balls out of the park because that is not what led to his selection in the side. But with Zampa scheduled to return to the lineup, it will be Marsh who will have to make way.Â
Glenn Maxwell : Apart from the game against India, Maxwell has walked into the middle with the team needing his power hitting abilities. He might have done fairly well in that respect but a top score of 28 are not numbers one would expect from a player of his quality.
Alex Carey : The Aussie keeper showed some signs of his batting abilities against both India and Pakistan. But on both occasions he failed to get any sort of support from the other end. That, however, is enough to seal his place in the playing xi.
Nathan Coulter-Nile : He couldn’t recreate the magical innings that he was able to muster against West Indies with the bat. With Stoinis out of the picture, he is already guaranteed a spot in the team unless he suffers the same fate as his compatriot.
Pat Cummins : He is just breathing fire right now. His bowling performance against Pakistan was a work of art and he was so influential that Finch was forced to finish off his overs well before the innings ended. The Sri Lankan fans are in for a treat tomorrow, but not the kind they would like.
Mitchell Starc :It's extremely difficult to figure out and rate Mitchell Starc’s form because of his hot and cold nature. Luckily for him, he is the only true pacer, other than Cummins, in the team and cannot be replaced.
Adam Zampa : After being dropped for the last game to accommodate Shaun Marsh on a green wicket at Taunton. Now that they head back to The Oval, he has to move back into the playing XI in place of the veteran batsman.Â
Kane Richardson : With Stoinis out of the World Cup, the Aussie picked Kane Richardson as his replacement in the playing XI. The pacer did not do enough to seal a permanent spot in the team, but his 2/62 will give him another chance on the biggest stage in World Cricket.
