England vs Australia, The Ashes 2023, Today Match Prediction 27 July 2023

eng vs aus Match Prediction & Analysis

Australia have retained the Ashes after a rain-affected draw in the fourth Test against England. They lead the series 2-1 and have the chance to win their first series in England since 2001 this week at The Oval. England were in control for most of the Test, but were denied a series-leveling win because of rain. However, while the hosts have failed to win the Ashes, they still have a great chance to level the series.

TEAMS PREVIEW

England Preview

England have been the better side over the last two Ashes Tests. They won the match in Headingley and looked set to clinch the match at Old Trafford, but were thwarted by rain. Still, they have a lot of positives to take from the previous match. 

Zak Crawley has climbed to the top of the Ashes 2023 batting charts with a sensational 189 off just 182 balls in the 4th Test. Captain Ben Stokes has been England’s second-best batter this series, scoring 360 runs in 7 innings at an average of 51.42 with one hundred and two fifties. 

Harry Brook is our man to watch out for in this match. He didn’t have a great start to the series, but is slowly and surely finding his groove. His last four scores are 61, 3, 75, and 50.

Another batter who can have a big impact in this match is Jonny Bairstow, who is fresh off a wonderful 99 in the previous game.

Stuart Broad, only the second fast bowler in history to record 600 wickets, has led England's bowling excellently.  He has taken 18 wickets in this series at an average of 28.55 and will be the team’s go-to bowler yet again. The other two bowlers who can turn things the home side’s way are fast bowlers Mark Wood (11 wickets in 4 innings at 17) and Chris Woakes (12 wickets in 4 innings at 19.50). Both quicks have managed to rattle Australia’s batting lineup and will be more than a handful at Kennington Oval.

England Predicted Playing XI:

Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Moeen Ali, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jonny Bairstow (wk), Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Stuart Broad, James Anderson/ Ollie Robinson

England Actual Playing XI:

Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Mark Wood, Stuart Broad, Zak Crawley, Moeen Ali, Ben Duckett, Harry Brook, James Anderson, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes

Australia Preview

Australia may have retained the Ashes, but they won’t be happy with their performance in the last two games. They were bowled out for 317 at Old Trafford after being asked to bat first, and then allowed England to post a mammoth 592 in their reply. In the second innings of the Test, Australia were struggling at 214-5. They were still 61 runs behind England and were looking at another defeat before rain saved the game for them.

Marnus Labuschagne (51 and 111) was one of the bright spots for Australia from the last Test. The No. 3 batter wasn’t in the best of form at the start of the series, but has now surely found his grit and true form. He will be Australia’s main batter to watch out for in the final Test along with opener Usman Khawaja (377 runs in 8 innings at an average of 47.12) and Steve Smith (248 runs in 8 innings at 31). Smith hasn’t had the best of series, but he’s a big match player, and we are backing him to come good in the last match.

Mitchell Marsh has been Australia’s surprise package on the tour. The batting all-rounder came into the series in the third Test and has already smashed 248 runs at an average of 76. He’s someone who can change the game quickly and will be Australia’s best bet.

While Australia would be disappointed with their bowling effort in the previous Test, they still have a really good attack that can take wickets on any surface. Josh Hazlewood (13 wickets in 5 innings at an average of 29.69) and Pat Cummins (16 wickets in 7 innings at 33.36) are our picks of bowlers to watch out for in this Test. Australia may also select Todd Murphy for the fifth and final Ashes Test over the under-performing Cameron Green. Murphy is an exciting young off-spinner who has only played 5 Tests, taking 15 wickets in them. He can be the spark that Australia needs in their bowling.

Australia Predicted Playing XI:

David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Todd Murphy, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood

Australia Actual Playing XI:

Marnus Labuschagne, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Alex Carey, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Todd Murphy, Steven Smith, David Warner, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

The pitch at Kennington Oval is great for batting for the first three days. Batting becomes difficult on the final two days as seam bowlers get plenty of bounce and movement off the pitch. However, since the weather is likely to cloudy for most of the five days the seamers will find plenty of movement off the air. The periodic showers will add more moisture to the pitch, making things difficult for the batters.

Venue Details

The average score batting first at Kennington Oval is 346. It drops down to 304 in the second innings. The highest total posted at the venue is a colossal 903-7 (dec.) by England way back in 1938. Because of the cloudy conditions during this match, we are expecting a low-scoring affair. The team batting first should look to set a total of around 300-350 runs.

Toss: To Bowl

There is rain forecast for every day of this 5th Test in London, the most being on Day 1. In this scenario, it’s very likely that the team winning the toss will bowl first. Both teams have the fast bowlers to utilize cloudy conditions to their advantage.