AHMEDABAD, India (Reuters) – England captain Jos Buttler won the toss and elected to field against Australia in a World Cup contest on Saturday with the prospects of elimination looming over the defending champions.
Holders England are anchored to the bottom of the points table and while their semi-final hopes are only mathematically alive, they need a top-eight finish to qualify for the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan.
“The pitch looks tacky, I think it will get better as the day goes on – but we just have to play better cricket,” said Buttler.
“There is always plenty to play for when you pull on an England shirt – personal pride, Champions Trophy qualification, playing Australia.”
Five-time champions Australia, who are third in the points table after four wins in six matches, made two changes to their squad.
All-rounders Cameron Green and Marcus Stoinis replaced Mitchell Marsh and Glenn Maxwell.
“We were going to have a bat so we are not too upset with the toss,” Cummins said.
“Any England-Australia clash always has a little bit of spice so it is very exciting to play them. It’s always a game you circle.”
Teams:
England: Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (captain), Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone, Chris Woakes, David Willey, Mark Wood, Adil Rashid
Australia: David Warner, Travis Head, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis, Marcus Stoinis, Cameron Green, Pat Cummins (captain), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
(Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; editing by Michael Perry)
