Last Updated on 7 seconds ago by Charbel Coorey

Sandpapergate is back in the headlines eight-and-a-half years on, but Australia’s ODI team weren’t too distracted as they swept England aside in the first ODI at Perth.

Mahli Beardman was at the heart of the carnage, taking 6/24 in a magnificent spell – the best figures by any bowler on men’s ODI debut for Australia. Not only did he display excellent pace, but he had the ball moving both ways, including away from the right-hander when bowling wider of the crease.

Less than 48 hours later, England need a quick response to keep the series alive. After a bit of a revival earlier this year with series wins over Sri Lanka (twice) and India, England’s ODI struggles have come to the fore once again after the Perth thrashing and failure to reach the final of the recent tri-series in Pakistan.

The Adelaide surface should be more batting-friendly, but cooler and cloudy conditions may still bring the bowlers into the game. In addition to the need for batting improvements, England’s bowlers need to be more discplined after they bowled too short to Mitchell Marsh who took them apart in the powerplay on Friday.

AUS vs ENG 2nd ODI 2026 Possible Playing XIs: Can England find room for Adil Rashid?

Australia are unlikely to change their XI, unless they opt to manage any of their fast bowlers. Riley Meredith was added to the squad in what was a “pre-planned” decision, according to Cricinfo.

Australia: 1. Travis Head, 2. Mitchell Marsh (c), 3. Cooper Connolly, 4. Josh Inglis (wk), 5. Matt Renshaw, 6. Cameron Green, 7. Jack Edwards, 8. Xavier Bartlett, 9. Spencer Johnson, 10. Mahli Beardman, 11. Adam Zampa

England too could stick with the same XI unless they bring Adil Rashid back.

England: 1. Ben Duckett, 2. Tom Banton, 3. Joe Root, 4. Harry Brook (c), 5. Jordan Cox (wk), 6. Sam Curran, 7. Will Jacks, 8. Jamie Overton, 9. Liam Dawson/Adil Rashid, 10. Gus Atkinson, 11. Jofra Archer

Adelaide Oval Pitch Report and Weather: Expect a more batting-friendly pitch compared to Perth

Even though the pitch is expected to be better for batting compared to Perth, the bowlers can still have a say on Sunday especially considering the weather. In the last 10 ODIs at Adelaide Oval, the average first innings score is 253.3. The chasing team has won seven of these matches, including each of the last four.

In these 10 ODIs, pace bowlers have taken 132 wickets at an average of 29.32 and economy of 5.31. Spinners have fared worse, taking 24 wickets at 66.08. However, Adam Zampa won man of the match against India last year with figures of 4/60.

There is the chance of showers, which should prompt the captain who wins the toss to field first. The cool and cloudy conditions (top of 20 degrees) may bring about some movement for the pace bowlers.

AUS vs ENG 2nd ODI 2026 Fantasy Cricket Tips: Fast bowlers to have a say once again?

Top wicket-keeper picks:

• Josh Inglis looks in good touch. He is fresh off a hundred in the recent Cape Town Test and unbeaten 23 in the first ODI. Also, Australia’s pace bowlers could hand him a few catches once again, especially if they bowl first.

Key batter picks:

• Mitchell Marsh has smashed four 50+ scores in a row in ODIs. He averages 50.71 with a strike rate of 105.55 as opener in ODIs.
• Travis Head has a chop-on problem. He inside-edged yet again in the first ODI at Perth. He returns to a ground where he has a magnificent record in this format: 5 inns, 329 runs, avg. 65.80, SR 94.54.
• England need a big innings from Joe Root. He averages just 27.85 in 31 ODIs against Australia. At Adelaide, he’s scored 84 runs in three ODIs.
• Harry Brook is England’s key player. This will be his 50th ODI, and he comes into this match with a career strike rate of 109.65 (average 39.62).

Top all-rounder picks:

• Cooper Connolly looks the best all-rounder pick in this match as he bats at three. He scored the most Dream11 points among all-rounders in the Perth ODI (55).
• Matt Renshaw scored the next-most points with 54. The left-hander is in terrific form and could be called on with the ball if the match situation presents itself.

Key bowler picks:

• Mahli Beardman had a match to remember in Perth. Can he back it up in Adelaide? Overhead conditions can aid movement, which makes picking at least two of Beardman, Spencer Johnson and Xavier Bartlett a safe move in Dream11.
• Gus Atkinson notched up 113 Dream11 points in Perth thanks mainly to his batting. He also looked good with the ball and dismissed Travis Head first ball.
• England need Jofra Archer to respond strongly. He has 16 wickets in 10 ODIs against Australia at an average of 32.62 and economy of 5.86.

Other Players to Consider for your Fantasy Cricket Teams

• Jack Edwards or Jamie Overton.
• Will Jacks.
• Ben Duckett.
• Adam Zampa.
• Tom Banton.

Other Stats and Important Matchups

• Australia lead England 11-3 in the last 14 head-to-head ODIs.
• Travis Head has 900 runs at an average of 50 in 20 ODIs against England.
• Harry Brook averages 52.66 with a strike rate of 124.40 in seven ODIs against Australia (two fifties, one century).
• Adam Zampa loves playing against England in ODIs: 18 matches, 36 wickets, avg. 23.97, SR 26.47.
• Jofra Archer vs. Mitchell Marsh in ODIs: 61 balls, 51 runs, two wickets.
• Jofra Archer vs. Travis Head in ODIs: 39 balls, 52 runs, one wicket.
• Adam Zampa vs. Joe Root in ODIs: 72 balls, 64 runs, two wickets.
• Adam Zampa vs. Harry Brook in ODIs: 49 balls, 74 runs, three wickets.

AUS vs ENG 2nd ODI 2026 Dream11 Prediction: England to bounce back in Adelaide?

Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time. Use the stats and commentary in this article, as well as your own instincts, to create your teams.

Option 1:

Option 2: