England vs Australia 2020, 1st T20I: England Predicted XI

After having successfully hosted the likes of West Indies and Pakistan in full-fledged series, England will now lock horns with old Ashes rivals, Australia, in a series of white-ball internationals, which includes three T20Is and as many One-day Internationals.

The series will kick-off with the shortest format of the game taking precedence at the bio-secure Ageas Bowl in Southampton. England have bolstered their squad with the likes of Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood and Sam Curran and it will be interesting to see the playing 11 that they field in the 1st T20I on Friday.

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Here’s a look at England’s predicted XI for the 1st T20I against Australia:

Jos Buttler [WK]

One of the greatest limited-overs batsmen going around in world cricket at the moment, Jos Buttler will be featuring in England’s limited-overs team for the first time this season.

Buttler was phenomenal with the bat during the Test summer against the West Indies and Pakistan and he will be looking to carry it to the T20I series against Australia. It will be interesting to see if England plays Buttler as an opener, given the fact that Tom Banton is available as an opening option, or will they use him as a finisher.

Tom Banton

Tom Banton was the biggest positive for England in the T20I series against Pakistan. The right-handed swashbuckling opener from Somerset displayed his whole range of strokes against Pakistan, also showing that he is equally good against spinners as he is against the fast bowlers.

The Australian series will be a tough challenge for the young opener and it will be interesting to see how he goes about his business against the likes of Mitch Starc or Pat Cummins.

Jonny Bairstow

The English swashbuckling opening has blown hot and cold with the bat in the 2020 summer, with sparks of belligerence followed by a string of low scores.

The right-hander was undone courtesy a brutal Shaheen Shah Afridi yorker in the final T20I against Pakistan and he would be looking to make amends for it against the Ashes rivals.

Dawid Malan

Dawid Malan has been an epitome of consistency in whatever chances that he has got in the English T20I side thus far. In 13 T20Is, Malan has racked up 553 runs at an average of 50.27 and a blistering strike-rate of 148.66.

Malan’s unbeaten half-century was instrumental in England nailing down Pakistan’s total of 195 in the second T20I and he will be hoping to emulate the performances when he locks horns against Ashes rivals, Australia.

Eoin Morgan

Eoin Morgan’s unfortunate run-out in the last T20I against Pakistan ultimately proved to be the turning point in the game as England eventually went on to lose the game by five runs.

The English captain has been in cracking form in white-ball cricket this summer and he will be looking to once again emulate it in the all-important series against Australia.

Sam Billings

Sam Billings was brilliant in the 50-over series against Ireland but the right-hander wasn’t able to emulate the same in the T20I series against Pakistan. With Jos Buttler back in the set-up, Billings knows that the only way he can nail down a permanent spot in the English line-up is as a specialist batsman, and the upcoming series against Australia will be crucial for his fortunes.

Moeen Ali

Moeen Ali’s return to form was a massive positive for England in their five-run defeat to Pakistan in the third T20I at the Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester. Not only did he claim a crucial wicket with his off-spin, but he also went to score a whirlwind 33-ball 66, an innings that nearly took the home side past the finishing line. Eoin Morgan will be hoping for much of the same in the upcoming series against Australia.

Tom Curran

Tom Curran did not have a particularly good series against Pakistan. Not only was he expensive, but he was also unable to claim wickets neither at the top of the order nor at the death. In 3 games, Curran claimed just 2 wickets, and with Sam Curran in the squad, it will be interesting to see if the right-hander makes it to playing 11 against Australia.

Jofra Archer

Jofra Archer will be playing his maiden white-ball international since the 2019 World Cup final against New Zealand. And, how England will want the tearaway fast bowler to emulate his feat of last summer.

Archer had a lacklustre Test summer and the right-hander will be hoping to get back into the groove in the format that he traditionally likes. His presence in the side will also lend potency to the England fast bowling unit, which was lacklustre against Pakistan.

Mark Wood

After having missed out from the five home Tests against West Indies and Pakistan this summer, Mark Wood would be rearing to go and prove himself in the T20I series against Australia.

Adil Rashid

Adil Rashid displayed cracking form with the ball in the ODI series against Ireland but the leg-spinner could not emulate the same against Pakistan. Rashid was regularly taken to the cleaners by the Pakistani batsman and he could only manage 2 wickets in the two completed innings. His bowling will be key for England in the middle-overs against Australia.