Australia, led by stand-in captain Steven Smith, will face England in the decisive third ODI at Bristol, with both teams seeking to clinch the series. Australia has been forced to make changes due to an injury to Mitchell Marsh, while England has rested Jofra Archer.
Despite the series being on the line, England has opted to rest Archer, who has played two consecutive matches. Olly Stone returns to the side as the only change, with Harry Brook confirming that he would have also chosen to bowl first on an overcast day.
Australia’s captaincy duties fall to Smith, who has frequently filled in as skipper in recent years. Sean Abbott has also been dropped after three costly outings, with Aaron Hardie returning to the team. Cooper Connolly makes his debut, providing Australia with another spin option and an additional left-hander in the lower order. Alex Carey has lost his spot, while Matthew Short will open the batting.
England’s lineup remains largely unchanged, with Ben Duckett, Phil Salt, Will Jacks, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Olly Stone, Matthew Potts, and Adil Rashid all retaining their places.
Australia’s team for the match is as follows: Travis Head, Matthew Short, Steven Smith (capt), Josh Inglis (wk), Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Aaron Hardie, Cooper Connolly, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, and Josh Hazlewood.
The match is expected to be a close contest, with both teams eager to secure the series victory. The weather forecast predicts rain later in the afternoon, which could potentially impact the outcome of the game.
