The 35th game of the ongoing T20 World Cup is going to be a classic one! Scotland will face the mighty Australia with their Super Eight qualification in line. The match will be played at Beausejour Stadium.
Team Overview:
England’s emphatic victory over Oman has eliminated any concern over the run-rate debate. This simplifies the equation for Scotland; they have to beat Australia to go through the Super Eight of the tournament. A washout would also suffice, although they wouldn’t be looking to rely on such luck.
Scotland understands this challenge and they are well-aware of the Australian side as well. They will be viewing it as a golden opportunity to test themselves against the one the best sides in the world.
Scotland had a thumping start to their T20 World Cup campaign. Their opening game was washed out, but they managed a clinical victory over Namibia and Oman, respectively.
The batting unit is led by the veteran George Munsey. The captain Richie Berrington also played a key role in the middle order. Michael Leask and the young Brandon McMullen will also have to chip in with their vital contributions.
Chris Sole and Mark Watt will have to step-up in the bowling unit for Scotland.
Thus far, Scotland has played excellent cricket so one cannot simply rule them out against Australia. If they win the encounter, it will not only make their way for the Super Eight, but they will also qualify for the next T20 World Cup.
On the other hand, Australia looks like a dangerous side. A side with all bases covered and more. Even though they may not play a full-strength squad against Scotland, their bench would take a tougher line-up too and probably we can see David Warner opening the bowling for Australia. Who knows?
Australia has already qualified for the Super Eight and they will face Afghanistan and India. So, this will allow them to rotate their squad as we mentioned above.
Pat Cummins also confirmed that it was the part of their pre-tournament strategy that they will give opportunities to most of the players.
Pitch and weather report:
This will be the first game that will be played on this venue of the T20 World Cup so both of the teams will have to adapt quickly. While a washout will benefit Scotland, the chances of rain are slightly less.
Predictions:
Although Scotland is a force to reckon with, Australia is hot-favorite to win this clash. But there will be a lot of drama if Scotland manages to upset Australia in the upcoming encounter.
Head-to-head records:
Both of the sides are yet to play a T20i game against each other. The upcoming encounter will be their first meeting in the shorter format of the game. Nevertheless, they met in the ODI World Cup in 2015 where Australia triumphed comfortably.
Where to watch:
Pakistan – PTV Sports, Ten Sports, Myco (Live streaming), Tamasha app (Live streaming), Tapmad (live streaming)
India – Star Sports
England – SkySport Network
USA and Canada (Willow TV)
Caribbean – ESPN Caribbean
New Zealand & Australia – Sky Sports NZ, Prime Video
UK & Northern Ireland – Sky Sports
Sri Lanka – Maharaja TV
Other regions – SuperSport, Sirasa, CricLife, STARZPLAY
