Australia vs England will be the opening match of the Aussie leg of the ICC Cricket World Cup in a week's time, and a dress rehearsal of that mega clash will be witnessed when the two rivals square up in the final of the tri-series at the WACA in Perth on Sunday.
With India failing to win a single match in the tri-series, Australia and England waltzed into the finale, setting up a mouthwatering clash.
"Tomorrow is a big game for us," said England wicketkeeper/batsman Jos Buttler. "We're desperate to put in a really good performance against a much-fancied Australia side.
"It will be another good marker of where we are as a team and how far we've come."
Australia beat England in both the group games of the tri-series to go into the final unbeaten, but England have certainly shown more than enough quality to suggest that they will be a real threat for the title.
England came into this World Cup as one of the least fancied of the big teams, but following some impressive performances in the tri-series – especially in the two matches against India – they have definitely shown they are a capable side, both with the bat and ball.
The bowling, in particular, has been impressive, with James Anderson, Chris Woakes, Steven Finn and Stuart Broad proving to be an effective fast bowling quartet, while Moeen Ali just keeps proving his worth with the ball time and again.
England put in a commendable performance against India in the must-win game on Friday, which booked their place in the final, and even if their top order wobbled a bit while chasing a small total, they showed their batting depth as well, with Buttler and James Taylor coming to the fore.
"I think we've developed a lot over the last few months, throughout the Sri Lanka series and now under Eoin Morgan's captaincy in Australia," added Buttler.
"We're pretty pleased with the direction we're going. We seem to have a pretty settled side at the moment for Australian conditions and a couple of wins against a strong India side can give us confidence going into the tournament.
"Since we've been in Australia the work we've put in – you couldn't work any harder. Now it is down to results and performances. We have to become a side that makes winning a habit and that's what we need to do leading into the tournament."
Australia, though, have looked a class apart in this tri-series, winning three of the four matches, with the other one abandoned due to rain.
The batsmen have looked in irresistible form, while the bowling lineup, led by Mitchell Starc, has looked deadly as well. The home team will be bolstered by the return of Mitchell Johnson, the man who terrorised England in the Ashes last season.
"I heard a couple of balls were a bit nasty, which can happen here," said Australia captain George Bailey about the pitch Perth. "That's what we like to see at the WACA -- a few balls playing up.
"It's tempting to play all four quicks when you see a wicket like that."
While Johnson is back, Australia will not take a risk on Shane Watson, who injured his hamstring during the series.
"Just looking at the volume of stuff, and knowing we've got two good hit-outs in the lead-up before that first World Cup game, I don't think there would be any point in risking him on Sunday, however minimal that risk was," added Bailey on Watson.
Where to Watch Live
The tri-series final is scheduled for a 2.20 pm AEDT (8.50 am IST, 3.20 am GMT) start with live coverage in India on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 3 (in Hindi) and Star Sports HD1. Viewers in India can also catch the match via free live streaming online on Starsports.com or via the Starsports Live Pro option.
Watch the final match of the Tri-Series live in Australia on Channel 9, while the option to live stream the match is on Cricket Australia Live or the Cricket Australia Live App. Audience in the UK can catch England take on Australia live on Sky Sports 2 or via live streaming on Sky Go or Watch Sky Sports.
The big game can be watched live by viewers in the US on Willow TV, while it can also be live streamed on Willow TV Online. Audience in the Middle East and North Africa can catch the tri-series ODI match live on OSN with the live stream option on OSN Play.
Expected lineups: Australia: David Warner, Aaron Finch, Steven Smith, George Bailey (capt), Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Brad Haddin, James Faulkner, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood.
England: Ian Bell, Moeen Ali, James Taylor, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (capt), Jos Buttler, Ravi Bopara, Chris Woakes, Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Steven Finn.
