Australia Vs England : Commonwealth Bank Series: Fifth O.D.I. Preview

England can heave a sigh of relief after the fourth match but it will still take a miracle to win the next three games. Australia, could have given the perfect gift to Australian fans, by winning the series on Australia Day. However, they came up against a resolute English team and fell short of England’s total by 21 runs. In whose favor will fortunes swing in Brisbane tomorrow? The SWOT analysis of both the teams is given below.ENGLAND: Their O.D.I performances might not be as commendable as their test performances are. They are nevertheless, a formidable unit and will make Australia sweat for a victory.

STRENGTHS: The excellent form of Jonathan Trott is a very valuable asset for England at the moment. The return of James Anderson to the bowling attack has strengthened the pace bowling department. Paul Collingwood’s miserly spells with the ball was heartening to watch in Sydney and Adelaide. England will be hoping that he will continue the good show in Brisbane.

WEAKNESSES: The indifferent form of the middle order is the major worry for England. Even in the previous game, they had a mini collapse before Michael Yardy and Paul Collingwood ensured Australia would have to chase 300. Their running between the wickets has not been great, especially that of Trott and England would like to avoid any run outs in tomorrow’s game. The batting has not delivered when it comes to facing spin. Steven Smith, Xavier Doherty and David Hussey all bowled tightly and the English batsmen struggled to score off them.

OPPORTUNITIES: Eoin Morgan has been getting starts but has not been able to convert them into big scores. Tomorrow will be a good opportunity to showcase that he has got the temperament to score big. Collingwood again will be the man to watch out for. He contributed somewhat with the bat in Adelaide. He will be hoping to build on that and get a huge score tomorrow.

THREATS: The form of Shane Watson and the fact that he can change the state of the game in a matter of minutes (both with the bat and the ball) will be on England’s mind. Steven Smith is also peaking with the bat and the ball and this does not augur well for England.My Playing XI: Andrew Strauss (c), Matt Prior (wk), Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Eoin Morgan, Paul Collingwood, Chris Woakes, James Anderson, Ajmal Shahzad, Chris Tremlett.

AUSTRALIA: Australia will be egged on by the fact that a series victory in Brisbane would give the locals something to cheer about after the devastating floods. However, in order for that to happen, they will need to put a better show than in Adelaide.

STRENGTHS: The bowling of Xavier Doherty has been quite good in the series and Australia will be hoping he will do the job again on Sunday. Steven Smith also bowled well in Adelaide and this is promising. Shane Watson’s imperious form with the bat bodes well for the team.

WEAKNESSES: The batting has not really fired in the series so far and tomorrow will be the right time to turn it around. The captain’s form has been appalling and this will be a huge concern for him and the team. The quicks were rendered ineffective in the previous game and they would also like to get their game a notch or two high.

OPPORTUNITIES: David Hussey can silence his critics with another strong performance with the bat. Doug Bollinger, except for the second O.D.I., has not bowled exceptionally well. He would like to prove his worth with a good performance in Brisbane. Shaun Marsh would look to score some runs to prove he is the ideal back-up for the World Cup in case Ponting or Hussey gets ruled out with injury.

THREATS: James Anderson will be a constant threat for Australia. Jonathan Trott is another threat for Australia. Prior, if he gets a start, can do lot of damage as they learnt in Adelaide) and Australia will do well to get him out cheaply.My Playing XI: Shane Watson, Brad Haddin (wk), Shaun Marsh, Michael Clarke (c), Cameron White, David Hussey, Steve Smith, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Xavier Doherty, Doug Bollinger.

Match Timings: 03:20 GMT 13:20 Local Time, 08:50 IST.Indian viewers can watch the match live on Star Cricket. There is a pre-show by the channel which starts at 08:00. Do tune in to watch the fifth match of the series.