ICC World Cup 2019, India vs Australia: Top five player battles - Virat Kohli & Co wary of Mitchell Starc threat
Defending champions Australia too will come into this clash high on confidence, following their victories in first two matches against Afghanistan and Windies respectively.
India will look for their second win in as many matches when they lock horns against Australia in a blockbuster ICC World Cup 2019 encounter at the Oval on Sunday.
Defending champions Australia too will come into this clash high on confidence, following their victories in first two matches against Afghanistan and Windies respectively. ((ICC World Cup 2019: Full Coverage))
Let’s now take a look at some important player battles that could decided the outcome of the of the match in London –
Rohit Sharma vs Mitchell Starc
Both Rohit Sharma and Mitchell Starc are coming into the match on the back respective outstanding performances in their last games. While Rohit hammered a match-winning century, Starc scalped five wickets. Rohit has faced 51 deliveries from Starc and scored 48 runs and he has been dismissed by the left-arm pacer once before in ODIs.
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Shikhar Dhawan vs Pat Cummins
Opener Shikhar Dhawan will come up against the pace of Pat Cummins and expect sparks to fly. The two have come face-to-face in the past and things haven’t gone Dhawan’s way completely. Although the southpaw has scored 46 runs off 39 deliveries from Starc but the Australian pacer has dismissed him twice and that will certainly play on the mind of the Indian batsman.
Virat Kohli vs Nathan Coulter-Nile
India skipper Virat Kohli couldn’t come to the party against South Africa and will look to make amends against Australia. However, things aren’t going to be easy for the right-hander as he will have to deal with the pace and guile of Nathan Coulter-Nile. Kohli has faced 71 deliveries from the Aussie pacer and has managed to score just 47 runs. To make matters worse for Kohli, he has been dismissed by the Coulter-Nile thrice.
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David Warner vs Jasprit Bumrah
Opener David Warner will come up against the best pacer in ODI cricket – Jasprit Bumrah. The two have squared up in the past with Warner hitting Bumrah for 41 runs off 42 deliveries. On the other hand, Bumrah hasn’t dismissed Warner yet in ODIs and will look change that particular stat after the end of this match.
Steve Smith vs Yuzvendra Chahal
Steve Smith struck a masterful half-century against Windies to bail the team out of trouble against Windies and his innings played a pivotal role in Australia winning the match. He will have to come up against Yuzvendra Chahal, who himself is coming into the match on the back of a four-star display against the Proteas. Previously, Smith has played 37 deliveries from Chahal and has scored just 20 runs.