Having already captured the series after taking an unassailable 3-0 lead, England will be hoping to ramp up the pressure on hosts Australia when the two sides meet for the fourth ODI at the Adelaide Oval on Friday.
After relinquishing the Ashes urn in a 4-0 loss, the tourists have shown they are a completely different animal when it comes to the limited-overs format and have brutally exposed the shortcomings of the Aussies.
We look at the key talking points ahead of Friday’s encounter.
ENGLAND GUNNING FOR HISTORIC WHITEWASH
Throughout the course of history, no team has ever whitewashed Australia at home in a bilateral ODI series. After drawing a blank in the Ashes, England will be hoping to give Steve Smith’s men a taste of their own medicine.
They will have their tails up after looking head and shoulders above the Aussies in the first three ODIs. While nothing quite compares to the Ashes, a whitewash in the limited-overs will salvage some pride for the wounded Englishmen after a disastrous tour.
England will not want to take their foot off the gas.
TOM CURRAN AND DAVID WILLEY VYE FOR PLUNKETT’S SPOT
Liam Plunkett has been in good form in the limited-overs format for England. The tall pacer went down clutching his hamstring in the victory at Sydney and has been ruled out of the last two ODIs.
England have the option of Tom Curran and David Willey available to them to take Plunkett’s place. The latter seems more likely given that he has performed well for the Perth Scorchers in the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL) while Curran has not featured since the final two Ashes Tests.
David Willey has been in good form for the Perth Scorchers.
AUSTRALIA’S MIDDLE-OVERS PROBLEM
Throughout the series, Australia have got off to good starts with the bat given Aaron Finch’s and David Warner’s consistent contributions. Where they have fallen well short of their English rivals is in the middle-overs where their inability to accelerate the scoring has left them with all to do in the death overs.
Smith’s 45-ball 66 in the third ODI underlined this issue with the Australian skipper managing just one boundary in the entire innings. England on the other hand have never lifted their foot off the accelerator in the middle overs with the likes of Joe Root and Eoin Morgan keeping things ticking along nicely.
The hosts will need to take a cue from the tourists if they are to salvage anything from the remaining two games.
Smith’s inability to score quick has hurt Australia in the latter overs.
GLENN MAXWELL TO REPLACE AARON FINCH?
Finch has been enjoying one of the best purple patches of his career with two centuries and a fifty in the first three matches. Therefore, his loss to injury for the remaining two encounters will be hugely felt by the hosts.
They have called up maverick batsman Glenn Maxwell as a replacement for the injured opener but it remains to be seen if Smith opts for him in the playing XI on Friday.
Given Smith’s public criticism prior to the series of Maxwell’s training intensity, it is not improbable to see the latter miss out to Travis Head although Australia could definitely use some of his big-hitting in the middle overs.
Maxwell could be the antidote to Australia’s middle-overs woes.
