England vs Australia, The Ashes 2019, Today Match Prediction 22 Aug 2019

eng vs aus Match Prediction & Analysis

Host England will be desperate to level the Ashes series when they take on Australia in the third game at Headingley Cricket Ground in Leeds on Thursday.

England will feel more confident after doing well in the second Test played at Lords. With the inclusion of Jofra Archer, the bowling attack looked potent and did not allow Australians to score easy runs in the Test match. Captain Joe Root will be hoping that the side can deliver their best cricket with bat and ball in this game.

On the other hand, Australia will need to play much better in order to maintain their lead in this Ashes series. Captain Tim Paine will be hoping that big players can come to the party in this contest.

TEAMS PREVIEW

England Preview

The home side will have momentum going into this Test after producing a decent show with the bat and ball at Lords.The big positive for England has been good form shown by opening Rory Burns in this Ashes series. The left-handed batsman has topped the batting charts in this series with 226 runs at an average of 56.50. White-ball specialist Jason Roy has failed to make an impression in the first two games of the Ashes series. The swashbuckling opener has only scored 40 runs in 4 innings at an average of 10.00. Roy will be under the spotlight for registering single-digit scores in the second played at Lords.

Captain Joe Root had a poor outing with the bat in the second Test played against Australia at Lords. He will need to dig deep and eke out a big score for England at his home ground. He is currently averaging 24.75 with the bat in this Ashes series. Joe Denly once again failed to capitalize on his good starts after showing all the patience and temperament in both the innings played against Australia. The team management will be hoping that Denly converts good starts into big scores in the remaining three games of the series. All-rounder Ben Stokes found a form with the bat in the previous game and smashed a blazing 115 runs off 165 balls with the help of 11 fours and 3 sixes. He would be looking to continue his good form with the bat in this game as well.

Wicket-keeper Jonny Bairstow seemed to have found a form with the bat in the Lords Test. He scored a fluent half-century in the first innings and then also scored run-a-ball 30 in the second innings to help England remain competitive in the second Test. In the bowling department, the side will be relying on the likes of Stuart Broad, Jofra Archer and Chris Woakes to deliver wickets with the new ball. Jack Leach also bowled well and picked up four wickets in the match.

England Predicted Playing XI:

Joe Root (captain), Jos Buttler, Jason Roy, Joe Denly, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Rory Burns, Ben Stokes, Stuart Broad, Jack Leach, Chris Woakes, Jofra Archer

England Actual Playing XI:

Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Jofra Chioke Archer, Jack Leach, Jason Roy, CR Woakes, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Rory Burns, Joe Denly

Australia Preview

For the visitors, they will need to bring their A-game to the table in order to maintain their lead in the Ashes series. The side has suffered a huge setback as Steven Smith has been ruled out of the upcoming Test after getting hit on the neck by a vicious bouncer produced by Jofra Archer. The team management will be concerned over the lack of runs from the opening pair of David Warner and Cameron Bancroft. Pugnacious opener David Warner has not done much with the bat since his return to Test cricket for Australia.

Left-hander looked in all sorts of trouble against like of Stuart Broad and Jofra Archer. He registered single-digit scores in both the innings to see Australia in a spot of bother. Cameron Bancroft has failed to produce runs for Australia at the top of the innings. He will need to produce runs in order to retain his place in the playing XI. Marnus Labuschagne became the Test substitute as Steven Smith failed a concussion Test on the final Day of the Lords Test. He played exceedingly well and put on an 85-run partnership with Travis Head to bail the side out of trouble. He scored 59 runs with the help of eight boundaries.

Middle-order batsman Travis Head played well and produced unbeaten 42 runs in the second innings to help Australia secure a draw at Lords. Head has been a consistent performer with the bat in this series and accumulated 135 runs at an average of 45.00. He will be keen to continue his decent form with the bat in this game. Captain Tim Paine and Mathew Wade will need to contribute with crucial runs for the side in this game. In the bowling department, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins produced excellent spells with the new-ball and provided early breakthroughs in the Lords Test. Peter Siddle bowled well and did not allow English batsmen to get away with easy runs. Off-spinner Nathan Lyon bowled well for the side in the game played at Lords.

Australia Predicted Playing XI:

Tim Paine (captain &wk), David Warner, Mathew Wade, Cameron Bancroft, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Usman Khuwaja, Peter Siddle/James Pattinson, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon

Australia Actual Playing XI:

Tim Paine, James Pattinson, Marcus Harris, Pat Cummins, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Matthew Wade, Usman Khawaja, David Warner, TM Head, Josh Hazlewood

Weather Conditions

Traditionally, the pitch at Headingley provides an interesting contest between bat and ball. The spinners might not get that much assistance from this surface. The weather forecast for the game to be played on Thursday is going to be bright and sunny. Venue Headingley Cricket Ground in Leeds is going to host the third Ashes Test between England and Australia. The home side will be concerned over their recent record at the venue. On the other hand, Australia will take from the fact they have managed to win three out of four Test played at this venue since 1992.

Toss: To Bat

The side that wins the toss would be keen to bat first and put runs on the board. Last time, England registered a comprehensive win over Pakistan in a Test match played at Leeds.