The tough phase of Joe Root-led England cricket team in Australia continued as they lost their 3rd straight game in the Kangaroo land. The focus shifts to Sydney, where the fourth game of the series will take place. The Pink Test, an annual affair played in memory of former Australian cricketer Glenn McGrath's late wife Jane Louise McGrath, who died of breast cancer, will commence on January 5th, 2022, at 10.00 AM local time. For Indian viewers, the telecast will start at 5.00 AM IST.
Australia, who led the series 3-0 and retained the esteemed Ashes trophy after their 3 successive wins in the 5-match competition, are struck by a COVID instance in their camp. Travis Head, the leading run-scorer for the Aussies in the series, tested positive for Covid and will miss the Sydney Test.
England's head coach Chris Silverwood, isolated in Melbourne, has tested Covid positive and will miss the game. However, the Joe Root-led side has traveled to Sydney and is training under the team's assistant coach Graham Thorpe. The news is the game is likely to proceed as per schedule.
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Australia vs England – Match Preview
The home team had a great ending to the year 2021. They finished as champions in the T20 World Cup in the UAE and followed that by an excellent 3-0 lead in this series against their arch-rivals. Pat Cummins, the new Australian captain, is having a dream start to his captaincy career and will look forward to finishing the series on a much better note.
According to Zak Crawley, the England opener, this Test will be a start of a rebuilding process for the English team. It is the first tour down under for most of the young England batters in the squad, and playing against a world-class bowling attack in one of the toughest conditions will prepare them for the future. Thorpe, England's assistant coach, spoke last week about the gap between county and Test cricket and that England's batting had been exposed on this tour. This Test once again will be a test of character for this young English side.
AUS vs ENG – Team Previews
Australia
Josh Hazlewood is back in the nets bowling; after missing out on the last two Tests due to an injury. However, the Aussies won't rush him in without getting him a match fit, especially with the quality of bowlers they have in their line-up. Also, the spin-friendly history of Sydney might allow them to pair the leg spinner Mitchell Swepson with Nathan Lyon to bowl in tandem.
Usman Khawaja is the likely replacement for the Covid-hit Travis Head in the Playing XI. Mitchell Marsh and Josh Inglis are also added to the squad as cover.
Australia Playing 11
David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, Marcus Harris, Usman Khawaja, Steven Smith, Alex Carey (WK), Cameron Green, Pat Cummins (C), Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland, Mitchell Starc
England
“As a wobble-seam bowler, I feel as though I missed out on two of the best wobble-seam pitches in Australia,” Broad wrote in his Mail on Sunday column. With Ollie Robinson on the side is in great form, it is understandable why Broad has been on the sideline for most of this series. However, England have announced that Stuart Broad will replace Ollie Robinson in the playing XI for this Test.
England Playing 11
Zak Crawley, Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root (C), Haseeb Hameed, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (WK), James Anderson, Jack Leach, Mark Wood, Stuart Broad
For the 4th test, here are the odds by bet365:
Odds change all the time, so we recommend visiting the official site of bet365 before you place a bet.
AUS vs ENG Head to head
- Matches Played: 354
- Australia Won: 149
- England Won: 110
- Tie/NR: 95
Australia clearly dominates the head-to-head between the nations as they have won 9 times out of the 13 games. Two Tests were drawn and England have won twice.
AUS VS ENG Dream11 Prediction
Here is our predicted Dream11 fantasy team line-up for the 4th test match between AUS and ENG.
AUS VS ENG Dream11 Fantasy Team
- WICKET-KEEPER:
- Alex Carey
- BATSMEN:
- David Malan
- David Warner
- Marnus Labuschagne
- ALL-ROUNDERS:
- Joe Root (C)
- Ben Stokes
- Cameron Green
- BOWLERS:
- Nathan Lyon (VC)
- James Anderson
- Pat Cummins
- Scott Boland
Fantasy & Betting Tips
If the weather conditions favour, Nathan Lyon will enjoy bowling in this venue.
Scott Boland's performance in his debut Test makes him a no-brainer pick for your fantasy side. He is a kind of player who picks wickets in bulk.
David Warner is in his prime form now, and he could be the player to watch out for if Sydney stays in its original form.
Aus vs. Eng 4th Test Match Prediction
Australia will start the game as favourites. With the rain expectancy high throughout the Test, we might get a draw result.
On the flip side, England could see this as a chance to bring on their A-game, as there is nothing much to lose for them. It will be an interesting matchup to kick start a new year for the fans of both teams.
Approaching Records
James Anderson needs to hold onto one more catch to complete 100 catches in Test cricket. While doing so, he will be the second bowler after Shane Warne to complete a rare combination of 500+Test Wickets and 100+ Test Catches.
