Amy Jones has claimed that January’s Ashes whitewash “hasn’t been a topic of discussion” before Wednesday’s World Cup clash between England and Australia. If you believe that, you will believe anything.
Both teams have qualified for the semi-finals, so it could be argued that little will be at stake in Indore. That would be wrong. First, given the run of results in this World Cup, these sides are almost certain to finish first and second and therefore avoid a semi-final against each other – which means this game could well be a precursor to the final in Navi Mumbai on 2 November. Cricket is a game played partly in the mind: no one wants to be thumped by their opponents two weeks before they meet them in a global tournament final.
