Australia vs England 5th ODI Preview & Tips
Finally! Australia ended their ODI hiatus by clinching a tense win over England on Australia Day to avert the prospect of a whitewash in the Gillette ODI series. That was a possibility, given how England fought tooth and nail, although they were chasing the game right from the start.
We now move to the Optus Stadium in Perth, the swanky new 60,000 capacity multi-sports stadium that opens with this ODI on Sunday, January 28th. Can Australia celebrate the occasion with a win?
Australia – a chance to continue their revival
Australia came storming off the blocks and found swing and seam in the 4th One Day International – thanks to the rain before the toss – they reduced England to 5/8. From there, they let the visitors post a competitive 196, but that was always going to be under-par on this track.
Their batsmen weren’t the usual confident selves which meant they had to eagerly wait for someone to play the anchor! That came from Travis head (96 from 107 balls). Back at the top of the order, Head was unlucky to miss out his ton. Though there were some hiccups at the end, Australia held on nervily for a morale-boosting win.
England – still the better team!
There’s no doubt that this English side is looking supremely confident of its own abilities. There is no way in the world that you could post 196 after being 5 for 8, if not for that self-confidence!
Chris Woakes (78 from 82 balls) once again showcased his utility with the bat and with the ball Adil Rashid (3/49) made sure that Australia are stretched every bit of their innings! No wonder then that the visitors still are the team to beat in the fifth ODI!
Stats
This is the opening ODI at the Optus Stadium, which promises to be fast like the old WACA stadium in Perth. A score of 280-300 could be ideal for the team batting first, according to the curators.
Key players
Where is David Warner? The Aussie vice-captain has been incognito through the series with a high score of 35. He moves on from here to captain the Australian side in the T20s, so is this match the perfect platform to get back to form? You can back Warner to score a 50 at odds of $2.37 at Ladbrokes.
After a record-breaking 180 in the first match of the series, Jason Roy has gone missing too! Scores of 2, 19, and 0 don’t look so good on his palette. With this side so insistent on consistency, Roy knows that the goodwill of that 180 is only until the end of this series!
Picks
Can England get back to winning mode? We think so! Back England to win this match at odds of $2.10 at Ladbrokes. The fourth ODI was an aberration and England look good to score more than their counterparts in the first 15 overs. Back England for the highest score after 15 overs at odds of 1.90 at Ladbrokes.
* Tips are author’s opinion and provided for informational purposes only. Please gamble responsibily.
