ENG vs AUS Preview: England, Australia eager to stamp their authority early in the tournament

Arch-rivals Australia and England will come together to take on each other in match 4 of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at the newly revamped Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Saturday, February 22. With the Ashes series later this year, the encounter could be a match to watch out for. Both teams enter the tournament after disappointing ODI series losses: Australia against Sri Lanka and England against India.

Two-time champions Australia, who are looking for their first Champions Trophy title since 2009, will rely on stand-in skipper Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, and Adam Zampa to take the initiative. Meanwhile, England, still suffering from back-to-back ICC tournament failures, will have their hopes relied on skipper Jos Buttler, Joe Root, and Adil Rashid to turn their fortunes around. Injury concerns have weakened both sides, with Australia missing key pacers and England struggling for balance.

Pitch Report

The Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore is on the slower side, making it tougher for fast bowlers as they get little bounce. Spinners, especially leg-spinners, are expected to do well in this venue. The stadium has hosted 69 ODIs from 1978 to 2023, with an average first-innings score of 292. The new ball will be crucial, with bowlers needing to attack the stumps to force bowled or lbw dismissals.

Squads

Australia: Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Matthew Short, Adam Zampa

England: Jos Buttler (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Tom Banton, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood