With the Champions Trophy underway, every team will be looking to get to a good start and begin the tournament well. Out of the 8 teams however, experts predict a final between either India, Australia or England thanks to the strength in these squads. We analyse the three teams’ chances of winning:
AUSTRALIA
Batting:
Australia have a strong chance due to their really strong top-order. The likes of Aaron Finch, David Warner and Steven Smith are all world-class hitters and can destroy any opponent on any day. In addition to them, Glenn Maxwell and Travis Head are two big hitters in their middle order. The batting is very strong and can destroy any bowling attack on a good day.
Bowling:
Spearheaded by Mitchell Starc who missed the IPL to prepare for this, Australia will be banking on him. Starc is helped with the likes of Hazlewood and Pat Cummins who are good bowlers themselves and this is one of the main reasons that they have an excellent chance of winning the tournament.
ENGLAND
Batting:
The opening pair of Jason Roy and Alex Hales is destructive and can give England an excellent start when they are in the mood. Also, home advantage is a big plus and they can navigate the seaming conditions with ease. England’s batting line-up is their biggest strength because one down comes Joe Root, regarded as one of the best batsmen in the world. He is followed by a strong middle order with the likes of Eoin Morgan, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes.
Bowling:
England’s bowling has Liam Plunkett, Chris Woakes and Moeen Ali. The bowling is their only weak link and opposition batsmen will be looking to capitalize on this. Mark Wood and Jake Ball are relatively untested in international tournaments and the bowling will have to punch above their weight to win.
INDIA
Batting:
India’s batting line-up is one of the best in the world with the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni can take apart any bowling lineup. India’s batting is their biggest strength, with them batting deep until the likes of Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya. They will bank on their batting to provide them the crucial start in either innings. It will be interesting to see if they can play the big innings in the biggest stages.
Bowling:
India’s bowling battery too is excellent, with Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar all in superb form. Add them to the Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja and the opposition have a real problem on their hands. India’s bowling department is excellent and they will start the tournament as real favourites to win it.
