England managed to keep the 2023 Ashes alive with a thrilling victory over Australia in the third Test at Headingley. The two arch-rivals will now lock horns in the fourth Test at Old Trafford in Manchester from July 19. England need to win this game to force a series decider, with Australia currently leading the series by 2–1. Even a draw will mean that Australia will retain the urn.
Here we bring you the ENG vs AUS prediction for the fourth Test which promises to be yet another banger. Take a look at the head-to-head record between these two teams ahead of the clash.
Contents
ENG vs AUS match preview
England
England were able to bounce back from their gut-wrenching losses in the first two games to win the Headingley Test by three wickets. With that win, they kept their hopes of regaining the urn alive. The Headingley pitch was spicy throughout the Test and the match turned out to be a proper blockbuster.
England were given the target of 251 in the fourth innings. Harry Brook played a magnificent knock of 75 to take his side closer to the target before Chris Woakes and Mark Wood finished things off. The pair were the architects of the win, with Woakes snaring six wickets and scoring 42 runs while Wood picked seven wickets and added 40 runs.
"I bet you sang in the choir and sat on the back seat of the bus" 😂@TroyHawke holds training with some of our England stars.
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 14, 2023
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In this ENG vs AUS prediction for the fourth Test, we believe England will make one change to the playing XI. Ollie Robinson was injured during the third Test and only bowled 11 overs. While he has been retained in the squad, James Anderson is expected to replace him in the XI.
ENG Possible 11: Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Moeen Ali, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jonny Bairstow (wk), Chris Woakes, Stuart Broad, Mark Wood, James Anderson
Australia
Australia would look back on the third Test with a sense of regret as they had an opportunity to seal the series but could not. They had reduced the hosts to 171 for 6 with the target still 80 runs away but lost to Brook and the tail.
Mitchell Marsh scored a terrific run-a-ball 118 in their first innings while Travis Head starred in the second innings with 77 to help his side a bigger target. Pat Cummins snared six wickets in the first innings but failed in the second. Mitchell Starc was the most impressive bowler for Australia with seven wickets in the match.
This ENG vs AUS prediction is a bit tricky as Australia could make a few changes to the playing XI. Scott Boland looked tame in the third game and is likely to be replaced by Josh Hazlewood. Australia also have to decide between Mitch Marsh and Cameron Green.
The current men's #Ashes series looms as the closest-fought in the trophy's 146-year history | @ARamseyCricket https://t.co/w5SRiHQUrU
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) July 14, 2023
AUS Possible 11: Usman Khawaja, David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh/Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (c), Josh Hazlewood, Todd Murphy
Pitch report and expected weather conditions
Old Trafford in Manchester has historically been a very good venue to bat on the first two days of the Test. The average first innings score here reads 336. The seamers always find good assistance at the venue. The last Test played here between England and South Africa witnessed the seamers dominate the proceedings.
As for the weather forecast, the match could be affected by rain as there's a good possibility of showers on all days barring July 20. There's over a 50% chance of precipitation on four days of the Test.
ENG vs AUS prediction
Our ENG vs AUS Dream11 predictions for this match
Here in this ENG vs AUS Dream11 prediction, we will explain why we have picked these players for this match. Steve Smith, Ben Stokes, Joe Root and Pat Cummins are too good to be left out of the side so they form our base team. Travis Head has been in incredible form so he makes the side too.
For the wicket-keepers spot, we've picked England's Jonny Bairstow. Keepers from both sides, Alex Carey and Bairstow haven't done much but the latter has an ability to score quickly and score big. He's picked by 26% of the fantasy owners and that makes him a good differential.
Usman Khawaja has looked very solid at the top of the order in the series. He has scored 356 runs in three games and will keep his place in our XI. Moeen Ali is the frontline spinner for England and could play a big role at Manchester. Chris Woakes was magnificent at Headingley, picking six wickets and adding crucial runs.
Mitchell Starc was the best Australian bowler in the Headingley Test, picking seven wickets. Mark Wood was rapid and blew away the Australian batting unit. He also made 40 runs with the bat. Both of these bowlers have the pace that has troubled the batters, and given their form, Starc and Wood are our captaincy and vice-captaincy picks.
ENG vs AUS match prediction: Australia to win
Australia may have suffered a defeat but they still remain the best side in the world. They will bolster their bowling attack with a couple of changes. England remains suspect to collapse due to their attacking approach. Considering these factors, our ENG vs AUS prediction is that Australia will win the fourth Test.
ENG vs AUS toss prediction: Australia to win the toss and bat first
England have won all three tosses in the Ashes so far, choosing to bat first at Edgbaston and bowling first in the last two games. Manchester is a venue that has favoured the team batting first over the years. Considering the probability of toss, our ENG vs AUS toss prediction is for Australia to win the toss and bat first.
Man of the match prediction: Mitchell Starc to win
Our ENG vs AUS prediction for the man of the match in this fourth Test is Mitchell Starc. The left arm pacer has a terrific record against England with 87 wickets from 20 Tests at 26.85 apiece. Starc has been terrific in the ongoing series and remains a big threat for the hosts.
Also Read: Mitchell Starc wickets in international cricket
ENG vs AUS betting odds
The ENG vs AUS betting odds for the fourth Test at Old Trafford have swung in favour of England after their win in the third Test. The bookmakers have marked England as slight favourites to win this match at 2.25 odds while Australia have higher odds of 2.40.
