Australia's batting depth to be tested

Friday, January 23, Bellerive Oval
Start time 2.20pm (0320 GMT)

When these teams met in the series opener last Friday, Australia were good enough not only to win but to do so with a bonus point. In Hobart they will take on England again, though this time without David Warner, who scored 127 in that Sydney victory. Warner is resting his hamstring and is one of three members of Australia's batting group from that win who will sit out of this game. Stand-in captain George Bailey has been suspended due to Australia's slow over rate against India in Melbourne on Sunday, and Shane Watson was a late withdrawal after reporting hamstring tightness at training at Bellerive Oval on Thursday.

However, it was not the batsmen but rather Mitchell Starc who set up Australia's strong performance in the series opener. Starc's ability to swing the new white ball brought two wickets in the first over of the match and although Eoin Morgan led England's fightback with a century, they never completely recovered from the early blows. Starc will be there again in Hobart, having added a six-for against India to the four-wicket haul he claimed against England. He might well be the most important man on the ground once again.

But England are coming off a confidence-boosting thrashing of India at the Gabba, where they picked up a bonus point on Tuesday and saw Steven Finn and James Anderson in tremendous bowling form, before Ian Bell and James Taylor did the job with the bat. If they manage to pick up a victory over Australia in Hobart it will be very difficult for India to force their way into the final - they would then need to win both their remaining games, probably both with bonus points. If Australia win in Hobart, they are guaranteed a place in the final, but the second spot would remain up for grabs.

(last five matches, most recent first)

Australia WWWWW
England WLLLW

Cameron White last played an ODI in April 2011, less than a month after Australia bombed out of the World Cup. He will now play his next ODI in January 2015, less than a month before Australia start their World Cup campaign at home. For nearly four years White has been overlooked in the format but his strong form - three List A hundreds in the past six months - and the need for backup batsmen has given him another chance. If he grabs it, he might yet feature in another World Cup, if a position opens up through injury.

A first-over duck in Sydney wasn't how James Taylor wanted to start the series, but he enjoyed the ease of the chase against India in Brisbane and made an unbeaten 56. He now returns to a venue where in 2013 he made 79 and 78 not out in back-to-back one-day games for England Lions against Australia A, and with another chance to settle himself into the No.3 spot ahead of the World Cup.

White and Shaun Marsh are in for Bailey and Warner, and Marsh will open with Aaron Finch. Watson's absence has provided a chance for Moises Henriques, and with Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Johnson resting minor niggles, Australia's options are few. Xavier Doherty might come in on his home ground, perhaps in place of Gurinder Sandhu.

Australia (possible) 1 Aaron Finch, 2 Shaun Marsh, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 Cameron White, 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Brad Haddin (wk), 7 Moises Henriques, 8 James Faulkner, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Pat Cummins, 11 Xavier Doherty.

After their comprehensive win over India in Brisbane, England might be minded to retain the same XI.

England (possible) 1 Ian Bell, 2 Moeen Ali, 3 James Taylor, 4 Joe Root, 5 Eoin Morgan (capt), 6 Jos Buttler (wk), 7 Ravi Bopara, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 James Anderson, 11 Steven Finn.

The Hobart surface is usually good for batting in the short formats. The forecast for Friday suggests there could be showers in the evening, with a top temperature of 24C.

"England played a very good game the other day against India. It was pretty much a full-package victory for them. They're a quality side with some very dangerous players so we're going to have to be on our best to beat them."
Steven Smith

"I don't really know why we put it all together, but it's a good sign. If we start doing that more consistently, we're a dangerous side. In these conditions with the extra bounce we'll be very competitive."
Ian Bell on England's thrashing of India