Australia-Team. (Photo by Steve Bell/Getty Images)

Australia won the World Test Championship final and the ODI World Cup last year. They would want to become the first team to hold the top-most prize in all three formats of the game together.

Led by Mitchell Marsh, the Aussies are one of the strongest and well-balanced teams in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. They started their campaign with a 39-run win against Oman. The 2021 champions are set to lock horns with arch-rivals England in match No. 17 of the T20 World Cup 2024 on Saturday, June 08, at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados.

While both Australia and England are expected to progress from Group B, the likes of Namibia and Scotland are no pushovers and can upset any team on their day. Therefore, the two experienced cricketing nations will want to get a win to stay in contention for the Super Eight stage.

Here is the Predicted AUS XI for Match 17 against ENG:

Openers: David Warner and Travis Head

David Warner started his T20 World Cup 2024 campaign with a hard-fought half-century against Oman. He faced 51 balls and scored 56, hitting six fours and one six. Warner scored a contrasting half-century against Namibia in Australia’s first warm-up game in Port of Spain. He slammed an unbeaten 54 off 21 balls. In the second warm-up fixture against the West Indies, the southpaw got off to a good start before departing for a six-ball 15.

Travis Head had a remarkable Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season, as he helped Sunrisers Hyderabad reach the finals for the third time. He finished as the fourth-highest run-getter in the tournament, amassing 567 runs in 15 matches at an average of 40 and a strike rate of 191.55. He didn’t play the two warm-up games and departed for a 10-ball 12 against Oman. The 30-year-old would want to set the tournament ablaze with one of his swashbuckling knocks against long-time rivals England.

Middle Order: Mitchell Marsh (C), Tim David, Matthew Wade (WK)

Mitchell Marsh has played as a specialist batter so far, still recovering from a right hamstring injury suffered during the IPL, which hasn’t allowed the all-rounder to roll his arm over. He has looked scratchy so far in the three innings he has played, including the two warm-up encounters. Marsh has registered scores of 18, 4, and 14 so far. Against Oman, he played an uncharacteristic knock of 14 off 21 balls. The 32-year-old would want to bring his A-game to the fore on Saturday.

Tim David has established himself as one of the fiercest finishers in modern-day cricket. He scored 23 (16) against Namibia and 25 (12) versus the West Indies in the warm-ups. Against Oman, he came out to bat with only seven balls remaining and managed to score nine runs from four balls. David would hold the key for Australia in the death overs.

Matthew Wade is also a handy finisher for the Men in Yellow. Not many will forget his heroics against Pakistan in the semifinals of the 2021 T20 World Cup. Wade scored an unbeaten 12 (5) against Namibia and a 14-ball 25 against the West Indies but didn’t get to bat against Oman. In Tim David and Wade, the Aussies have two reliable finishers in their batting order.

All-rounders: Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell

Marcus Stoinis has been in impeccable touch with the bat this year and bagged some crucial wickets with the ball. He scored 388 runs at an average of 32.33 and a strike rate of 147.53 in IPL 2024. Stoinis didn’t feature in the two warm-up fixtures but stole the show against Oman. He scored an unbeaten 67 off just 36 balls, hitting two fours and six sixes on a tricky surface. In the second innings, he finished with figures of 3/19 in three overs and was fittingly adjudged Player of the Match.

Glenn Maxwell’s form is a major cause of concern for the Aussies. He had a disastrous IPL season, scoring just 52 runs in 10 matches at a paltry average of 5.78. Maxwell didn’t bat in the two warm-up games and was dismissed for a golden duck against Oman. One good innings can turn things around for the experienced campaigner, but with the likes of Cameron Green and Josh Inglis waiting in the wings, pressure to perform is at an all-time high. With the ball, the Melbourne-born bowled a couple of overs against Oman and conceded 11 runs.

Bowlers: Mitchell Starc, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

Mitchell Starc received considerable flak for his performances for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2024 in the league stage. However, the most expensive player in the history of the tournament delivered on the big stage. He was named Player of the Match award in Qualifier 1 and the final, as KKR won the title after 10 years. Starc caused the Oman batters all sorts of problems in the first game and accounted for two wickets in his three overs.

Nathan Ellis played only one game for Punjab Kings in the IPL, while Pat Cummins led Sunrisers Hyderabad to the finals. However, the youngster managed to get the nod in Australia’s playing XI for the game against Oman ahead of the senior pro. Ellis repaid the faith shown on his by picking up two Oman wickets in his four-over spell. The Greenacre-born has the ability to pick wickets and can bamboozle batters with his subtle variations. He will play a vital role in the death overs for the Aussies.

Adam Zampa is the only specialist spinner picked in Australia’s squad. He is one of the most experienced leg-spinners in world cricket at the moment. Zampa bagged three and two wickets against Namibia and the West Indies respectively. However, against the Caribbean side, he went for 62 runs on a belter of a track. The 32-year-old bounced back against Oman, finishing with figures of 2/24. His four overs in the middle will be crucial against England.

Josh Hazlewood forms a lethal new-ball pair with Starc. He bowled a mind-boggling spell against Namibia, conceding just five runs and picking up two wickets in his four overs. However, against the West Indies and in the last game against Oman, Hazlewood went wicketless. The Australian fans would want the right-arm pacer to make early inroads against the Three Lions on Saturday.