Australia and England will lock horns for the second time in four days when they clash in the Trans-Tasman T20I tri-series at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Saturday.
The hosts ran out comfortable victors by five wickets in the clash at Hobart on Wednesday after having thrashed New Zealand in the opening match of the series.
We look at the three key players to watch out for as the old foes meet once again.
After being called out by Steve Smith publicly for his training intensity, it seemed that the doors to the national team had all but shut on the floundering maverick batsman.
Having found a spot in the recently concluded ODI series due to injuries, the often derided Glenn Maxwell seems to have found a new lease of life in the T20Is. He answered all his critics with a man-of-the-match performance in the previous match where he registered his second T20I ton while also chipping in with three crucial English wickets with his part-time off spin.
It will be interesting to note if Maxwell can kick on from the superb ton or whether it ends up as one of the many false dawns in his career.
Maxwell put England to the sword in Hobart.
The Hobart Hurricanes opening batsman smashed the Big Bash League (BBL) record for the most runs scored in a single edition just recently. His terrific displays have seen him earn a mouthwatering IPL contract with Rajasthan Royals along with a maiden Australia cap in the T20I series.
He looked extremely good on his debut on Wednesday where he launched two massive sixes and as many boundaries in a 20-ball stay at the crease which yielded 30 runs. Short will want to build on that promising start as he looks to tie down a spot in the national team for the foreseeable future.
Short’s stock is rising rapidly in limited-overs cricket.
The English all-rounder was brilliant with the ball against the Aussies in Hobart as he picked up three wickets. He failed to do much with the bat though and will be looking to make amends in Melbourne.
He was in sparkling form himself in the recently concluded BBL and made head turns when he tore apart Nathan Lyon in England’s warm-up T20 clash against a Cricket Australia XI. The southpaw smashed Lyon’s first five deliveries for sixes before finding a boundary off the last ball as 34 runs came in a single over.
Willey will be hoping for a better return with the bat.
