ICC World Cup, England vs Australia: Pitch and weather reports
Arch-rivals Australia and England will be up against each other in Match 36 of the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup. The Aussies, who have enjoyed a solid run, will fight for their fifth successive triumph. Meanwhile, the struggling England unit can at maximum seek a top-eight finish from here on to qualify for the 2025 Champions Trophy. Here are the pitch and weather reports.
A look at the track conditions
Ahmedabad's colossal Narendra Modi Stadium will host the clash on November 4 (2:00pm IST). The pitch here is usually balanced and assists both the batters and the bowlers. If black soil is used for the surface, any total below 300 will not be safe. Owing to the dew factor, the toss-winning skipper is likely to bowl first.
Will rain play any part?
It will be a hot and sunny day in Ahmedabad with absolutely no chance of rain. As per Accuweather, the temperature is expected to hover around 30-34 degrees Celsius during the game. With the humidity level being around 47%, the dew is expected to set in the evening. Hence, the team bowling second can have a hard time.
Here are the stadium stats
The venue, previously known as the Motera Stadium, has hosted 30 ODIs. Teams batting first have won 16 times (Average first innings score: 235). 365/2 by South Africa vs India in 2010 is the highest ODI score here. India own the highest successful chase here, 325 versus West Indies in 2002. 196 by West Indies against India in 1988 is the lowest-defended target here.
Here are the probable XIs
Australia's probable XI: David Warner, Travis Head, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (WK), Cameron Green, Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins (C), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood. England's probable XI: Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (C & WK), Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone, Chris Woakes, David Willey, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood.
