The highly anticipated Australia vs England encounter in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 started with fireworks as Phil Salt went on the attack from the very first over. After Australia opted to bowl first, Salt wasted no time, smashing a six and a four off Spencer Johnson in the opening over, setting the tone for England’s innings.
Australia’s struggle in the Champions Trophy continues
Australia have not won a match in the last two editions of the tournament. Their three matches ended in losses, while three were no results, making this a crucial game for the Aussies to turn things around.
Playing XIs
Australia:
Matthew Short, Travis Head, Steven Smith (c), Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (w), Alex Carey, Glenn Maxwell, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Spencer Johnson
England:
Philip Salt, Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith (w), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler (c), Liam Livingstone, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood
Captains’ Take
Jos Buttler (England captain):
“We probably would have batted first, we were 50-50 about whether dew will come into play. Looks like a good surface, and we want to make good use of it. We’re confident and excited. Any game against Australia in an ICC event is always special. Jamie Smith is a young talent, unflappable with a great head on his shoulders, adding dynamism to our top order.”
Steve Smith (Australia captain):
“We’re gonna have a bowl. The surface looks good, and we noticed a bit of dew during practice, so chasing should be advantageous. We are playing two left-arm pacers to utilize swing early on. Carey has been batting well, and both keepers (Carey and Inglis) played together in Tests successfully. Looking forward to this big clash.”
With Salt and Duckett opening with an aggressive intent, Australia’s bowlers will have to step up to avoid another winless campaign in the Champions Trophy. The game is shaping up to be a thrilling battle between the two fierce rivals.