T20 World Cup 2021, England vs Australia (Super 12) Preview: Who would emerge victorious in this mini Ashes?

One of the most impressive cricketing rivalries on the planet, England and Australia clash in Group 1's Super 12 tie of the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup at the Dubai International Stadium on Saturday. With mini Ashes on the cards, it would be interesting to see who comes out on top as we preview this thrilling encounter.

Current form
Both sides are off to a brilliant start to the tournament, having won both their opening games. Also, the two won and lost a game each of their warm-up matches, making both sides evenly placed. Thus, there is hardly any doubt that it will be an intense clash between the two. While England won its previous T20I series, Australia suffered a loss, thus putting the momentum slightly in the former's favour.

LIVE SCORECARD: ICC T20 World Cup 2021, England vs Australia (Super 12)

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Team strength & weaknesses, and players to watch out
As far as the teams are concerned, England is loaded in its batting with 11 batters compared to its eight bowlers, making the batting its strength. England's top-order will have to fire here, while the middle-order is uncertain, owing to skipper Eoin Morgan's poor form. Meanwhile, the onus would be on Jason Roy, Moeen Ali, Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow, Mark Wood and Chris Jordan.

Considering Australia, it is heavy on its bowling and is the right call due to the sluggish nature of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) pitches. As for its batting, it is decent too, while David Warner's rise in form would be welcome news for the Aussies. Nonetheless, the likes of Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood would draw quite some attention.

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Injury concerns, head-to-head, weather and pitch report
None of the sides has any notable injury concerns. The two have clashed on 19 instances in the format, with Australia leading 10-8, while in the competition, they have played each other on a couple of occasions, with both winning apiece. The weather in Dubai would be sultry, with an expected temperature of around 33 degrees and 43% humidity. The track is likely to stay even but could be somewhat slowish. However, keeping the dew factor in mind, the side winning the toss would undoubtedly look to bowl first.

Probable XI
England: Jason Roy, Jos Buttler (wk), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Eoin Morgan (c), Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid and Tymal Mills
Australia: David Warner, Aaron Finch (c), Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade (wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa and Josh Hazlewood

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Fantasy XI
Batters: Warner, Smith, Roy- Warner and Roy are expected to fire as openers, while Smith can dominate and number three or four.
Wicketkeeper: Buttler- He is the man in the best form in the department, while he too can fire in the top-order, as well as in the middle.
All-rounders: Moeen- He has been delivering with the bat of late and can turn out to be effective with his spins too.
Bowlers: Rashid (vc), Starc, Woakes, Cummins, Zampa, Mills (c)- Rashid and Zampa have been giving a tough time to the batters of late, and the trend is likely to continue, while the remaining four have been deadly with their pace and would once again make an impact in this game.

Match details
Date and day: October 30, 2021 (Saturday)
Venue: Dubai International Stadium
Time: 7.30 PM (IST)
Where to watch (TV): Star Sports 1 and Star Sports 1 Hindi (Also available in HD, along with regional languages)
Where to watch (Online): Hotstar

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