Australia vs England 2018 ODIs: 5 player battles to watch out for

After being demolished in the Test matches, the England team finally had something to smile about when they defeated Cricket Australia XI in the warm-up match. While this will certainly reinvigorate the English squad, what remains to be seen is whether or not, they carry this form into the ODIs.

The Australian squad, on the other hand, was given a fresh dose of pedigree when Cameron White was roped into the squad replacing the injured Chris Lynn.

England seem to be a confident ODI outfit and hence, the upcoming series has all the bearings to be a keenly contested contest.

Here in this slider, we take a look at five player battles which might determine the outcome of the series.

#5 Mitchell Starc vs Alex Hales

Alex Hales makes a comeback in international cricket after the infamous Ben Stokes incident and would love to make a point to all the detractors.

He has been a critical cog in England's recent run of successes in coloured clothing and with his belligerence at the top of the order, more often than not, sets the tone for the rest of batting.

However, he will up against Mitchell Starc, who is arguably the best bowler with the white ball currently and hence his work will be cut out.

Starc gave ample glimpse of his worth in the Tests, but he is a different beast altogether with the white nut, and on his day can blow away batting orders.

#4 David Warner vs David Willey

Warner will have to be careful against the swinging ball

The battle of the Davids in the powerplay could well determine the course of the match and in many ways the series.

While David Warner's starts are crucial to Australia, he will up against David Willey who gets the ball to swing and is adept at picking up wickets on his first ball.

The greatest strength of Willey is the away swinger he bowls to the left-handers and Warner, who looks to drive on the up, will have to be watchful up front against the swinging ball.

#3 Adil Rashid vs Cameron White

White will be up against Adil Rashid

Cameron White makes a comeback to the ODI setup after nearly three years and he could walk into the playing XI come the first match.

However, despite all this good run of good scores, White will find it tricky against the guile of leg-spinner Adil Rashid who found immediate form in the warm-up match when he picked up three wickets for 45 runs.

Rashid has been an integral part of the English ODI setup for the last two years and has grown into one of their key players in the side.

His variations and the ability to pick up wickets in the middle overs will pose a big threat to the Australian order and herein lies White's biggest challenge.

#2 Eoin Morgan vs Pat Cummins

Morgan vs Cummins will be tussle worth watching

Probably the best fast bowler in the Ashes series, Pat Cummins has impressed one and all with not only his fitness but also his ability with the ball. He is fast, nasty, and has a plethora of tricks up his sleeve to trip the batsmen.

Eoin Morgan, on the other hand, found form immediately in England as he guided his side to a win against Cricket Australia XI in the warm-up match.

However, he will under pressure, as the Australians will go after the captain, and Cummins who generally bowls in the middle overs will pound in everytime with the ball in hand and Morgan will not only have to counter pace but also score runs against him.

#1 Mark Wood vs Steven Smith

Smith will finally encounter raw pace

England never found a way to dismiss Steven Smith in the Test series and while it was argued that they lacked the pace to hassle Smith, the mental toughness of the Australian captain was a captivating watch.

However, in Mark Wood, Morgan has pace up his sleeve and he could well unleash Wood at Smith whenever he comes out to bat and place attacking fields.

The Australian captain who is making scoring runs as easy as reading a morning newspaper will finally be up against a pacier prospect and how he counters him might add another chapter in his illustrious chapter.