Synopsis
In a thrilling start to the 2025 Champions Trophy, Australia captain Steve Smith won the toss and elected to bowl first against England at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Both teams are keen to bounce back from their recent ODI series losses.Key Takeaways
- Steve Smith won the toss for Australia.
- Australia elected to bowl first against England.
- Alex Carey is included in the playing XI.
- Both teams are coming off ODI series defeats.
- Jos Buttler expressed confidence in England's batting lineup.
Lahore, Feb 22 (NationPress) The Australian team, led by skipper Steve Smith, has won the toss and chosen to bowl first against England in their inaugural Group B match of the 2025 Champions Trophy at the Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday.
Both sides come into this match following defeats in their recent ODI series in the subcontinent. While England faced a 3-0 setback in India, Australia lost both ODIs to Sri Lanka in Colombo, a nation not participating in the current Champions Trophy.
After securing the toss, Smith confirmed that inform wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey is included in the playing XI. “The surface looks quite good, and there was some dew during our practice, so we prefer to chase later,” he remarked. The team lineup comprises Short, Head, myself, Marnus, Inglis, Carey, Maxwell, Dwarshuis, Ellis, Spencer Johnson, and Zampa.
“We expect to utilize a bit of swing early on, relying on our two left-arm pacers, Dwarshuis and Johnson. Carey has been in excellent form. Both keepers, Carey and Inglis, have performed well together in the Test matches, and they are both outstanding batters. It’s an exciting day, and we can't wait to get started,” he added.
England captain Jos Buttler mentioned that he might have preferred to bat first. “It’s a bit of a coin toss decision. The surface looks promising. We are not concealing anything and are genuinely eager. The team appears to be in a great mindset,” he commented.
On Jamie Smith's return, Buttler remarked, “He is composed, immensely talented, and has a great demeanor. He adds dynamism to our top order and provides solid support behind him.”
Playing XIs
Australia: Matt Short, Travis Head, Steve Smith (captain), Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (wk), Alex Carey, Glenn Maxwell, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, and Spencer Johnson.
England: Phil Salt, Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith (wk), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler (captain), Liam Livingstone, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, and Mark Wood.
