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Poor weather conditions, which disrupted the first semi-final, are likely to hinder the clash between England and Australia too.
England take on Australia in the second semi-final. (Reuters)
Australia vs England (Aus vs Eng) World Cup 2019 Semi-Final, Birmingham Weather Forecast and Pitch Report Today: After securing convincing victories over India and New Zealand in their final two league fixture at the ongoing World Cup, a confident England side will take on defending champions Australia in the semi-final on Thursday. The English side suffered a drop in their form, losing two matches on the trot midway during the league stages. However, the Eoin Morgan-side got back the lost rhythm at the right moment.
Jason Roy, who missed a fair part of the tournament, returned and have so far been an instrumental figure in England’s solid top-order show. The opening pair of Roy and Jonny Bairstow have been outstanding in the last couple of matches putting on 100-plus partnerships against India and New Zealand.
Australia, on the other hand, will go into the contest with brimming confidence. The defending champions have never faltered in the seven previous semifinals at the tournament, and they would like to make it eight when they take on the hosts at Edgbaston.
Despite few injuries, the Australian side will bank on their star-performers David Warner, Mitchell Starc to make an impact in the contest. All eyes will also be on Peter Handscomb who is all set to make his World Cup debut against England. The 28-year-old initially was not a member of the 15-man Australian squad, but he has been roped in as a replacement for Usman Khawaja, who has been ruled out of the remainder of World Cup.
WEATHER REPORT: However, poor weather conditions, which disrupted the first semi-final between India and New Zealand, are likely to hinder the clash between England and Australia too. As per reports, the MET department has predicted that the sky will remain overcast throughout the day with chances of a downpour. The temperature will hover around 22 degree Celsius.
What happens if rain washes out the match completely?
In case if rain plays a spoilsport, a similar scenario that was followed in the first semi-final will come into effect. The match if remained incomplete will resume on the reserve day, which is Friday, from where it was left.
If both the days are washed out, Australia will automatically qualify for the finals, courtesy of their better standings on the points table.
PITCH REPORT: The clash between England and Australia is the fifth match being played at this venue. Keeping the Edgbaston’s ground dimensions in mind, one would like to bat first after winning the toss. The pitch turns slow as the game progresses and it gets difficult to bat in the second innings, a phenomenon which we saw in the clash between England and India played at the same venue.
