We Talk About England vs Australia Cricket Match

We were bad." Ben Stokes couldn't have summed up England better in this World Cup. For that matter, there couldn't have been anyone else in the English camp or anyone else who had to endure their abysmal progress in this tournament. So far, they've been anything but "crooked". No. And it's remarkable how quickly interest around the defending champions has faded even though they were once again on many pundits' favorites.

In that sense, the clash against Australia could not have come at a better time for this confused and disillusioned England side. If nothing else, it at least instills some sort of interest and energy in the competition, even if it doesn't affect their promotion. You don't have to wait for the match to start though. As expected there has been plenty of chatter and 'wind' from both camps in the lead up to the match, as it is Australia vs England, with no connection to where the two teams currently sit in the points table.

So, what if the best barb between the two sides dropped came from England's Test captain and superstar about his own ODI team on the eve of the match? No prizes for guessing the narrative from the Ashes carried forward here.

It doesn't help that the past few weeks have seen more backlash in England about some of the events of three months ago. Jonny Bairstow and his stumping lead the way in the second Test at Lord's. But there have also been many jokes about England's search for a "moral victory" that did the rounds incessantly during the Ashes. And a moral victory is the best Jos Buttler and his team can aim for at this stage of their topsy-turvy campaign. A win for them would likely derail Australia's hopes of securing their place in the semi-finals, even if Pat Cummins' side are currently in the best position to get there from their third position.

Cummins, true to form, dismissed the pre-match talk and spoke of their resistance to having played in these matches for nearly a decade.

"There's always chatter before any game (between Australia and England). So, I think you're immune to it. You know the cricket speaks for itself. Everything else is hype and noise for a game that everyone's really excited about." she said.

As opposition captains they couldn't drink to each other at The Oval after the Ashes, but for once both Cummins and Stokes agreed on something, with the senior England player also having a few words in the lead-up.

"When England play Australia there's always a bit more chatter and whatever. So yeah, you've seen it and I understand why. It's a lot like when India and Pakistan come and play each other. There's always going to be that rivalry," he said. said.

England may have been "crooked" for the past three weeks, but with their world title on the line, there's a chance to forget how bad they've been and briefly feel good about themselves. For one day, if only they could spoil the party for Australians. And that alone will be motivation for Butler & Co. on Saturday (November 4).

When: Australia v England, 4 November, 14.00 hrs local time, 19.30 hrs AEST

Where: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad