Australia and Ireland will face each other in a Group 1 match of the Super 12 stage of the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 at The Gabba on Monday (31 Oct).
Australia started their T20 World Cup 2022 on a tragic note as they were defeated by New Zealand. But Australia bounced back hard to defeat Sri Lanka in their next outing. The Aaron Finch-led side would have loved to register back-to-back wins against old rivals England but the Australia-England match had to be abandoned without a ball being bowled due to incessant rains.
After qualifying for the Super 12 stage of the World Cup, Ireland tasted defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka before they shocked England in a rain-affected match. Like Australia, Ireland’s previous match too got washed out due to poor weather.
Similar trajectories of the two teams in the Super 12 stage has meant that both Ireland and Australia have 3 points each but Ireland is placed third in Group 1 while the Aussies are a spot behind at fourth. The difference in standings is due to Ireland’s better net run rate of -1.170 against Australia’s net run rate of -1.555. A win in this game is crucial for either side to cling to their hopes for a semifinal spot.
Australia’s biggest worry ahead of this match is the form of the openers David Warner and Aaron Finch. All-rounder Glenn Maxwell hasn’t been at his best with the bat either. The faltering batting could make Finch bring Steve Smith back into the playing XI. Smith had to warm the bench against New Zealand and Sri Lanka.
Against the World Champions, Ireland captain Andy Balbrine would want his middle-order batsmen and the bowlers to come well. On the brighter side, Balbrine came up a with crucial fifty and Joshua Little picked two wickets in the win against England.
Australia vs Ireland Head to head
Matches played: 1
Australia wins: 1
Ireland wins: 0
Pitch:
The dramatic match between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh at the Gabba showed that the pitch should be fast with a lot of bounce and carry-on offer for the pacers.
Weather:
The weather for the major part of the match could be clear but the clouds and the rain could visit the Gabba later in the day.
Australia possible XI: David Warner, Aaron Finch (c), Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, Matthew Wade (wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
Ireland possible XI: Paul Stirling, Andy Balbirnie (c), Lorcan Tucker (wk), Harry Tector, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Gareth Delany, Mark Adair, Fionn Hand, Barry McCarthy, Josh Little
The match begins at 1.30 PM IST. In India, the match will be broadcast on the Star Sports Network. Online viewers can follow the live-action via Disney+Hotstar.
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