AU-A vs EN-A Dream11 Team: Mini ashes test match set to see both the sides weigh up their option before the big stage gets underway.
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With the Ashes series looming, today’s England Lions Vs Australia A clash has taken on an entirely different meaning. It’s a match which will hold the same competitive edge as the Ashes series, a mini encounter in the build up to one of the biggest rivalries in the cricketing fraternity.
What adds to the tightness of the fixture is the fact that both the outfits are lined up with star performers who’ll be looking to catch the eye of their selection panels and earmark a spot for themselves in the upcoming Ashes series. A series which every English and Australian player dreams of playing during his career given its revered and coveted nature, the partaking 22 players are bound to elevate their performances and nail down a role in the main side.
“I always ask for flexibility in numbers but at the moment we’re heading towards 16 at this stage,” Australia’s chief selector Trevor Hohns told cricket.com.au when speaking about the composition of the main side.
“Sixteen is historically been about the right number.”On the odd occasion there might have been one more, doubtful there’s been much less for an Ashes tour.”It’s quite a hectic program with five Test matches pretty close together, “he said.
An extra factor which is bound to make this encounter a riveting one and a humdinger of a match is the nature of the Cricket World Cup final which the two sides recently traversed part. It was a match which saw a clinical and comprehensive English side decimate Australia as they ended up making a mockery of their most hated rivals. Bundling out Australia for just 223, England took no time in getting past the target at hand, reaching it with 8 wickets and 13 overs to spare.
Probable Winner
Going into this test match, the prospect of extracting back a win from England after their trouncing of the main side at the ongoing World Cup is bound to play on Australia’s minds. They have enjoyed a fruitful run up till now in their visit of England as well, winning all of the matches they have taken to the field in, the most recent being a test match win against Sussex, one they completely dominated to win by 10 wickets.
Albeit this being a way tougher match than that one given the composition of England Lions, we expect Australia A to emerge from this with a win. It’s a side lined up with specialist players, performers who are bound to grab the opportunity accorded to them and dole out a pristine brand of cricket.
Wicket-Keeper for AU-A vs EN-A Dream11
We have gone in with the two wicket-keepers over here, the one coming in from either side. With Peter Handscomb having been called up to the international ODI along with Matthew Wade who replaced Usman Khawaja, the brunt of the wicket-keeping slot lies flatly on Tim Paine who we see putting on a big performance.
From England we have Ben Foakes come into our side. A major contender for being included in England’s main test side on the back of some bankable performances in the domestic arena, his recent consistent showings with the bat are bound to continue in this match as well.
Batsmen for AU-A vs EN-A Dream11
An entire trio of batsmen comes in from Australia for us in the form of Joe Burns, Peter Handscomb and Marcus Harris. While Burns and Harris are bound to retain their spots after delivering key performances with the bat against Sussex, its Handscomb’s selection which we are looking forward to.
Having returned to the Australia A side after Australia crashed out of the World Cup, Handscomb will be eyeing the couple of spots remaining in Australia’s side for the Ashes series. He’s one of the likeliest contenders to hammer down a spot in that squad after his 1021 runs at an average of 60 in the Sheffield Shield competition.
Elsewhere, both Harris and Burns had notched up centuries as they stitched together a 214 run opening partnership against Sussex to take Australia to a one sided win. From England Lions we have the lone selection of Zak Crawley.
All-Rounders for AU-A vs EN-A Dream11
Bound to be Australia A’s biggest test of their visit, the spin department will be extremely important to their chances of winning this one as well and ensuring they remain undefeated across their matches. This sees us opt for Travis Head from the side with his spin bound to perturb an English batting line-up known to traditionally struggle against the rank turners.
Meanwhile from England we have Sam Curran come in. Unlucky to be left out of England’s sojourn at the World Cup, the all-rounder has lit up England’s test cricket side with his all-round displays. A more than capable bat, it’s his performances as a pacer which have turned heads, seeing him punch above his weight to pick up wickets at regular intervals.
Bowling Order for AU-A vs EN-A Dream11
With Australia confirming that Josh Hazlewood and Kames Pattinson would be rested for this match in a bid to keep them fresh for the upcoming tests, we have gone ahead with Chris Tremain and Jackson Bird from Australia.
“We want to pick the best possible side we can all the time. Obviously, Josh and James will miss due to workload and big few months coming up for them, but it also gives Chris Tremain, Jackson Bird and Michael Neser another opportunity to impress,” said Travis Head ahead of the match.
From England Lions it’s going to be Jamie Porter who wraps up our side after his stellar displays in the domestic arena.
Captain And Vice-Captain
It’s Harris who gets to be our captain for this one while Curran has been chosen as our vice-captain.
Match Details
Australia A Visit Of England
Match: England Lions Vs Australia A
Date And Time: 14th June, Sunday- 3:30pm IST
Venue: St Lawrence Cricket Ground, Canterbury
