Three Lions look to roar against OZ
In the last four matches, five-time champion Australia has shown its batting might to turn around a floundering campaign with four successive wins.
Australia players attend a practice session
AHMEDABAD: Australia and England have endured widely contrasting fates in the World Cup with one firmly on course for the semifinal while the other barely surviving.
But on Saturday when the two Ashes rivals clash, a lot will be on the line for the adversaries who last faced off in a battle for the ‘Urn’ in July this year.
In the last four matches, five-time champion Australia has shown its batting might to turn around a floundering campaign with four successive wins.
Defending champion England, on the other hand, has faced the ignominy of four defeats, primarily due to its inexplicable batting failure, having been bowled out for 170 or less in each of its last three games. Ahead of the marquee clash, both the teams are battling different sets of problems.
Australia will be forced to make replacements following the unavailability of two of its key players -- Mitchell Marsh and Glenn Maxwell. While Marsh had to fly back home due to personal reasons, Maxwell suffered concussion after falling down from the back of a golf cart in a freak incident.
Marsh had looked in blistering form at the top, while Maxwell had provided the late surge, having blasted the fastest ton in the World Cup the other day.
In their absence, Cameron Green and Marcus Stoinis are likely to be back in the squad for Saturday.
England, meanwhile, has tried all permutations and combinations in pursuit of that elusive win and yet another change in the XI is expected when it returns to the venue where its campaign started on a poor note, having lost to New Zealand in the opener.
Harry Brook, who was left out for the last two games, is expected to return, while 28-year-old quick Brydon Carse, who replaced an injured Reece Topley, might also get a game.