Know here all the details related to the livestreaming and predicted XI of FIFA World Cup 2022 Round of 16 match between Lionel Messi's Argentina vs Australia. FIFA World Cup Group stage was filled with some exciting matches. Here comes the knockout stages where the stakes will be much higher every game. The teams that lose, go home. It is as simple as that. One of the biggest matches in this round is of Argentina taking on Australia. Lionel Messi's team started off the tournament with a shock loss to Saudi Arabia. It seemed all was done and dusted as far as Messi's dream of winning the World Cup was concerned. However, it was not to be. Argentina won both their next matches against Poland and Mexico to qualify for the Round of 16. They are up against a spirited Australia, who have pulled off some surprises as well. After being thrashed by France 4-1, they showed remarkable nerves to win the next two matches against Tunisia and Denmark to qualify for the next round. The Aussies would be quite chuffed about the fact that they play against Messi's team. Where and how to watch FIFA World Cup 2022 Argentina vs Australia live in Bangladesh? Bangladesh viewers can watch the match live on all of these channels: BTV, T Sports, PTE LTD and Viacom 18. Argentina vs Australia match on Toffee apps live-The digital platform powered by Banglalink Bangladesh viewers can also enjoy live stream online the World Cup games on Toffee, the digital platform powered by Banglalink. Read More: Messi fans from Asia cheer on Argentina Argentina vs Australia Match Live on Facebook and Youtube Many Facebook pages and YouTube channels also live the match How to watch Argentina vs Australia live stream in India In India, the World Cup is being televised on Sports18, but every game is being shown for free and in 4K via the JioCinema app. You can live stream Argentina vs Australia on Thursday night.Coverage is available in Hindi, English, Malayalam, Bengali and Tamil, and the JioCinema app is compatible with Chromecast, so you can get a big-screen experience. Anyone outside of India who wants to watch their home World Cup coverage can just pick up a good VPN and follow the instructions above to safely live stream the action.How to watch Argentina vs Australia live stream in Australia Football fans in Australia can watch Argentina vs Australia, along with every World Cup 2022 game, on free-to-air SBS. You can tune in on TV or live stream Argentina vs Australia using SBS On Demand. SBS on Demand is free to use and works on a range of smart devices including mobile phones, smart TVs and web browsers. Also read; FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: Switzerland march into Round of 16 after victory over Serbia How to watch Argentina vs Australia live stream World Cup 2022 soccer in the US without cableSoccer fans in the US can watch Argentina vs Australia on FS1 and Peacock TV, with kick-off set for 11am ET / 8am PT on Sunday morning. FS1 shares TV rights to the 2022 World Cup group stage with Fox, but Fox will be showing every game of the knockouts. Argentina vs Australia live stream without cable If you don't have cable TV, a cord-cutting service is what you need for instant access to Fox and FS1. Sling Blue is the cheapest option. It's $40 per month but you can get your first month half-price with this discount. Also read: FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: Vincent Aboubakar’s late goal sinks Brazil FuboTV is another good option. It carries both Fox and FS1, and over 100 channels besides, and allows you to watch the World Cup 2022 in 4K HDR. It's more expensive at $69.99 a month, but first there's a FREE FuboTV trial. Every game of the World Cup is also being shown on Peacock TV, but the catch is that commentary will be in Spanish. To make up for that, Argentina vs Australia and a few other games are being shown for FREE. The Peacock price comes in at $4.99 a month and the service also offers live coverage of the NFL, EPL and WWE. If you subscribe to Sling, Peacock or any other US streaming service, and find yourself unable to access coverage because you're out of the country, consider using a VPN – we rate ExpressVPN as the best of the best. How to watch Argentina vs Australia live stream in UK Football fans in the UK can watch Argentina vs Australia live stream for free on BBC iPlayer, along with many more World Cup 2022 games, as coverage of the tournament is split evenly between the BBC and ITV. Every BBC game will be on BBC TV channels in HD and also live streamed on BBC iPlayer in glorious 4K HDR. Just make sure you possess a valid TV license and that your device is 4K-compatible with iPlayer. Away from home in the UK right now? No worries:Use ExpressVPN to watch BBC iPlayer from abroad. BBC iPlayer is free to use and works across a wide range of devices including smart TVs, laptops, games consoles, mobile phones, tablets and streaming sticks. You can watch all the other World Cup 2022 live streams for free on ITV Hub. How to watch Argentina vs Australia live stream in Canada TSN is the place to watch every 2022 World Cup soccer game in Canada. If you get the channel as part of your cable deal, you'll be able to log in with the details of your provider for access Argentina vs Australia live stream. If you don't have cable, you can subscribe to TSN on a streaming-only basis for $19.99 a month or $199.90 per year. If you decide to subscribe, or already have, remember you can take your favorite sports streaming service with you wherever you go – just try our No. 1 overall rated VPN 100% risk-free for 30-days and follow the instructions How to watch live Argentina vs Australia Match live from Iran and other countries? If you're abroad during World Cup 2022, and want to tune into your usual home coverage, you'll most likely find yourself geo-blocked and will need to use a VPN to unlock your access. A VPN is a piece of software that allows you to change your apparent location and World 2022 live streams from any country and streaming service you need. They're easy to use and super-secure. We rate ExpressVPN as the best VPN for streaming. Argentina vs Australia Match live on TV Channels Bangladesh: BTV, Gazi TV, T-SportsIndia: Sports18, Sports18 HD, Sony TV NetworksPakistan: ARY Digital NetworkNepal: Media Hub Private LimitedMalaysia: Astro GOSingapore: Singtel TV GO, CAST, StarHub TV+, MeWatchNew Zealand: Sky Go, Sky Sport NOWIndian Subcontinent: Sony Network Where and What time and date will the FIFA World Cup 2022 Argentina vs Australia match are played? The FIFA World Cup 2022 match between Argentina vs Australia will be played at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Qatar. The FIFA World Cup 2022 match between Argentina vs Australia will begin at 12:30 am IST. Argentina vs Australia lineups: FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Predicted lineup Argentina predicted XI vs Australia (4-3-1-2): E Martinez; Molina, Romero, Otamendi, Acuna; De Paul, Fernandez, Mac Allister; Di Maria, Messi, Alvarez. Australia predicted XI vs Argentina (4-2-2): Ryan; Degenek, Souttar, Rowles, Behich; Leckie, Irvine, Mooy, Goodwin; Duke, McGree. Argentina vs Australia. Head-to-head record between Argentina & Australia Argentina and Australia have met on seven occasions, though Saturday's game will be the first World Cup meeting between them. La Albiceleste have the upper hand in the all-time series with 5 victories, a draw and just one loss:Quite simply, if Argentina's national soccer team suffer a defeat, they would be knocked out of the tournament in the last 16. For the World Cup, the Knockout Round consists of one-game playoffs. Read More: Argentina try to avoid Australia upset to keep Messi's dream alive

Australia’s players speak in glowing, almost reverential terms about Lionel Messi. “He just does things that, you know, no one else can do,” forward Mathew Leckie said. Milos Degenek went even further. “Probably,” the Socceroos defender said, “the best footballer ever to grace the game.” Imagine, then, how they’ll be feeling on Saturday when they share the same field as Messi and his Argentina team in the last 16 of the World Cup. These are pinch-yourself times for a group of unheralded players who were expected to be on their way home by this stage of the tournament. Yet here they are in Doha, looking to cause the latest upset in a World Cup that has been full of them — right from the moment Saudi Arabia shocked Argentina in perhaps the most unlikely win in the tournament’s 92-year history. That set the tone for the past two weeks, during which Japan has beaten both Germany and Spain, Morocco has defeated Belgium, Tunisia has beaten France and, let’s not forget, Australia has stunned Denmark. The Australians want to add to that list. “No one expects us to win,” Leckie said. “So let’s shock the world.” Don’t expect any complacency among the Argentina squad, though. Not after what transpired against Saudi Arabia during the group stage. “We know, at the moment, everything is very difficult,” said Messi, who is bidding to win the World Cup in his fifth and likely last attempt. “All the opponents are complicated. We know it as well as anyone.” There is a growing feeling, though, that Argentina might have come through the worst of the storm. It is only a week ago that Argentine soccer was going through a period of introspection, digesting one of its most embarrassing results ever. Read more: Messi fans from Asia cheer on Argentina Then, after an hour of its second group match against Mexico, the Albiceleste were being held 0-0 to raise the genuine prospect of a group-stage exit with a game to spare. Now, Argentina has qualified as the winner of its group and is facing the world’s 38th-ranked nation, which is playing at this stage of the World Cup for only the second time, after 2006. Netherlands or the United States will be the opponent in the quarterfinals. None of Argentina’s players will dare get ahead of themselves but it’s undeniable that the draw has opened up for them. “We went back to being what we were for a long time,” Messi said after Argentina’s 2-0 win over Poland that secured a place in the last 16, “and how we were looking to be at the beginning of the World Cup, which for different reasons we could not manage. “It gives confidence for what is coming.” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni looks to have finally found a winning formula in Qatar. The center of midfield now appears to be set, with Alexis Mac Allister and 21-year-old Enzo Fernandez having forced their way into the starting team alongside Rodrigo De Paul. Up front, Julian Alvarez has dislodged Lautaro Martinez and should keep his place against Australia, fresh from finishing off a 27-pass sequence for an exquisite second goal against Poland. The only place that looks up for grabs is at center back, with Lisandro Martinez having dropped out against Poland perhaps so Argentina had a taller player to deal with the aerial threat of Robert Lewandowski. Read more: Messi, Argentina under pressure for Mexico game at World Cup Given only one player in Australia’s 26-man group plays in Europe’s top five leagues, it appears to be a mismatch at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium. For spells of its win over Poland, Argentina played like a team that arrived in Qatar riding a 36-match unbeaten record and as one of the tournament favorites. And then there’s the Messi factor, a subplot which is hanging over the World Cup as he looks to win the only major title to elude him in his career. “I think they’re obviously driven by the motivation that it could be Messi’s last World Cup,” Degenek said, “and he wants to win the World Cup and end it on a high. “For us, it’s about stopping that. Unfortunately, I’m a big fan of his, but I’d love to win the World Cup probably more than him.”

Australia’s environment minister said Tuesday her government will lobby against UNESCO adding the Great Barrier Reef to a list of endangered World Heritage sites. Officials from the U.N. cultural agency and the International Union for Conservation of Nature released a report on Monday warning that without “ambitious, rapid and sustained” climate action, the world’s largest coral reef is in peril. The report, which recommended shifting the Great Barrier Reef to endangered status, followed a 10-day mission in March to the famed reef system off Australia’s northeast coast that was added to the World Heritage list in 1981. Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said the report was a reflection on Australia’s previous conservative government, which was voted out of office in May elections after nine years in power. She said the new center-left Labor Party government has already addressed several of the report’s concerns, including action on climate change. “We’ll very clearly make the point to UNESCO that there is no need to single the Great Barrier Reef out in this way" with an endangered listing, Plibersek told reporters. read more: Coral reefs' survival at stake: Unesco “The reason that UNESCO in the past has singled out a place as at risk is because they wanted to see greater government investment or greater government action and, since the change of government, both of those things have happened,” she added. The new government has legislated to commit Australia to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 43% below the 2005 level by 2030. The previous government only committed to a reduction of 26% to 28% by the end of the decade. Plibersek said her government has also committed 1.2 billion Australian dollars ($798 million) to caring for the reef and has canceled the previous government’s plans to build two major dams in Queensland state that would have affected the reef’s water quality. “If the Great Barrier Reef is in danger, then every coral reef in the world is in danger,” Plibersek said. “If this World Heritage site is in danger, then most World Heritage sites around the world are in danger from climate change.” The report said Australia’s federal government and Queensland authorities should adopt more ambitious emission reduction targets in line with international efforts to limit future warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times. Read more: Great Barrier Reef enters crucial period in coral bleaching The minor Greens party, which wants Australia to slash its emissions by 75% by the end of the decade, called for the government to do more to fight climate change in light of the report. Jodie Rummer, a marine biologist at James Cook University in Townville who has worked on the reef for more than a decade, supported calls for Australia to aim for a 75% emissions reduction. “We are taking action, but that action needs to be much more rapid and much more urgent,” Rummer told Australian Broadcasting Corp. “We cannot claim to be doing all we can for the reef at this point. We aren’t. We need to be sending that message to the rest of the world that we are doing everything that we possibly can for the reef and that means we need to take urgent action on emissions immediately,” she added. Feedback from Australian officials, both at the federal and state level, will be reviewed before Paris-based UNESCO makes any official proposal to the World Heritage committee. In July last year, the previous Australian government garnered enough international support to defer an attempt by UNESCO to downgrade the reef’s status to “in danger” because of damage caused by climate change. The Great Barrier Reef accounts for around 10% of the world’s coral reef ecosystems. The network of more than 2,500 reefs covers 348,000 square kilometers (134,000 square miles). Australian government scientists reported in May that more than 90% of Great Barrier Reef coral surveyed in the latest year was bleached, in the fourth such mass event in seven years. Bleaching is caused by global warming, but this is the reef’s first bleaching event during a La Niña weather pattern, which is associated with cooler Pacific Ocean temperatures, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Authority said in its annual report. Bleaching in 2016, 2017 and 2020 damaged two-thirds of the coral. Coral bleaches as a response to heat stress and scientists hope most of the coral will recover from the latest event.

Mitchell Duke celebrated scoring Australia's winning goal by forming a “J” with his fingers in a tribute to his son Jaxson, who was in the stands. Coach Graham Arnold dragged injured winger Martin Boyle — on crutches — into the celebratory huddle as fans sang merrily along to Men at Work’s “Down Under,” blaring over the stadium speakers after the final whistle. Later, Arnold was wiping away tears. It was an emotion-filled day for Australia, which beat Tunisia 1-0 Saturday for only its third win in 18 World Cup matches. Duke gave Australia the lead midway through the first half with a header. “I actually was messaging some of my family, saying that I was going to score today, and I told my son that I was going to be able to share this moment with him and get that celebration,” Duke said. “I haven’t seen it yet, but apparently he did it back to me from the stadium, which was a really special moment that I’m going to treasure for the rest of my life.” Australia hadn't won at the World Cup since beating Serbia in 2010 and it means the Socceroos still have a chance to qualify for the round of 16, despite losing to defending champion France 4-1 in their opening match. Boyle was injured a few weeks before the tournament and Arnold explained why he moved him into the team’s staff as “vibe manager” in Qatar. “To keep all the guys up, because he’s one of the most fantastic blokes you’ll ever meet,” Arnold said. “There was no way he wanted to go home, and no way I wanted to send him home. He deserves it more than anybody for what he did in the qualifying campaign.” France leads Group D with a full six points after beating Denmark 2-1 in Saturday's other group game. Australia is next with three points, while Denmark and Tunisia trail with one point each. In the final round of group games on Wednesday, Tunisia will play France and Australia will meet Denmark. Read more: Qatar World Cup: Croatia vs Morocco match ends in goalless draw After a scrappy start from both sides, Australia went ahead with a play that started at the back. Duke collected the goalkeeper’s pass near the middle of the field and made a quick touch to set Craig Goodwin down the left flank. Duke then sprinted forward to nod Goodwin’s deflected cross into the far corner with his back to the goal. The score quieted the large contingent of red-clad Tunisia fans among the crowd of 41,823 inside Al Janoub Stadium, and sent the small pockets of Australian supporters dressed in yellow into delirium. Tunisia impressed when it held European Championship semifinalist Denmark to a 0-0 draw in its opener, but only occasionally threatened against Australia until the Aussies sat back and defended toward the end. Australia had also gotten off to an early 1-0 lead over France in its opener, but then was outplayed in a loss which it blamed on a series of defensive errors. There were fewer errors this time, and some timely interventions, too — none bigger than a last-gasp sliding clearance from center back Harry Souttar to block Mohamed Dräger’s dangerous shot shortly before halftime. Tunisia is still seeking to advance from the group stage for the first time in its sixth World Cup appearance, but now needs to beat France. “This edition of the World Cup has had surprises for everyone. The larger squads have been defeated,” Tunisia coach Jalel Kadri said. “We still have one more match to go and we’ll play our hearts out.” NO CELEBRATING Still not sure of advancing, Arnold warned his players in his post-match speech about getting too excited. Read more: World Cup logs more than half the record of scoreless draws “I just said, ’No doubt the nation is extremely proud, but we’ve done nothing. You’ve achieved something we can talk about when we get home. I don’t want any celebration. Just enjoy these couple of minutes on the pitch with the fans. Then ice baths, recover and get ready for the next one,'” Arnold said. PRIME TIME Fans watching at home in Australia witnessed the win in a rare World Cup match shown in prime time on a Saturday night Down Under. “There’s one or two teams that bring the nation together and that is the Socceroos and the Matildas," Arnold said, using the nicknames for Australia's men's and women's national teams. "When the Socceroos play at World Cups, AFL fans, rugby league fans, cricket fans; they all become football fans. And I can imagine the celebrations that are going on at home. … I think they’ll be a few hangovers in the morning.” POLITICAL STATEMENT During the second half, Tunisia fans held aloft a large Palestinian flag with the words “Free Palestine” printed on it.

Even without the injured Karim Benzema, defending World Cup champion France has plenty of attacking power. Most teams would love to have either Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann or Olivier Giroud in their forward line, let alone all three. They have 119 international goals between them, plus an abundance of speed, craft, experience and skill. But France does not have the same assurances in midfield, and that is where Australia could trouble Les Bleus on Tuesday in their opening Group D match. France struggled to beat Australia 2-1 when the teams met in their World Cup opener four years ago, and that was with a full-strength midfield. France coach Didier Deschamps is missing the injured N’Golo Kante and Paul Pogba — his dynamic engine room from 2018. Pogba has played 91 times for France and one of his 11 goals came in the 4-2 win over Croatia in the 2018 final. READ: Which European teams have the best chances of winning 2022 World Cup? While Pogba’s form has been up and down since then, Kante’s consistency rarely ever dropped and he’s arguably an even bigger loss. A tireless runner with an incredible ability to close down space, surface from anywhere to win the ball and then release it cleanly, Kante is one of the best defensive midfielders in world soccer. But he’s recovering from a hamstring operation and won’t add to his 53 international appearances. So Deschamps faces Australia with a revamped midfield where the most experienced player is Adrien Rabiot — Pogba’s teammate at Italian club Juventus — with 29 appearances. The 27-year-old Rabiot finally feels ready to emerge as France’s new midfield leader. “When I played in the French youth teams, I was often more experienced than my teammates. Now I find myself in a similar position,” he said. “I feel that I’m able to help others, to lead by example. I like being in this position.”

Australia will provide $135 million in 2022-23 for life-saving food, water and shelter in Bangladesh and Myanmar through partner organisations. The package of support builds on $480 million provided since 2017 to people across Myanmar, forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals, Rohingya, and host communities in Bangladesh. It will also deliver essential protection, education and health services for those most in need, including women, girls and people with disabilities, the Australian foreign ministry said in a statement Thursday. Since the military coup in February 2021, the number of people in humanitarian need in Myanmar has surged from 1 million to an estimated 14.4 million. Read: Bangladesh seeks OIC’s help to continue Rohingya genocide case Australia commended Bangladesh's ongoing support to over 919,000 displaced Rohingya who rely on humanitarian assistance to survive while recognising the ongoing impact on communities hosting the Rohingya. "Australia's humanitarian assistance will be delivered through the United Nations, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and non-government organisations," the Australian foreign ministry said. Read: EU announces € 3m for Rohingyas in Bhasan Char "All partner organisations have proven capacity to deliver neutral and independent humanitarian assistance and reach those most in need. They are carefully chosen to ensure that Australia's assistance does not directly benefit or legitimise the military regime in Myanmar."

A Sri Lankan cricketer charged with sexually assaulting a woman in Australia remained in jail Monday after a court declined his bid for bail. Danushka Gunathilaka was arrested early Sunday at his Sydney hotel and was charged with four counts of sexual intercourse without consent. The 31-year-old had traveled to Australia as part of Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup team. Under Australian court rules, not all details of the case can be reported. Read more: Phillips century leads New Zealand to big win over Sri Lanka At the Downing Centre Local Court, Magistrate Robert Williams noted Gunathilaka had no criminal history. But the cricketer's application for release was later refused by the court. Outside the court, defense lawyer Ananda Amaranath said the decision was disappointing and his client was considering appealing to the New South Wales state Supreme Court. Gunathilaka's bail application was made in a closed court, after the police prosecutor lodged an application to prevent publication of the facts of the case and the indictment against the 31-year-old. The motion to suppress was opposed by Amaranath and Stephen Coombs, the senior legal counsel for Nationwide News. The pair made similar arguments — that the victim’s name was already prevented from being made public, and further suppression orders were contrary to open justice. Read more: T20 World Cup: Australia beat Sri Lanka by 7 wickets But the judge decided to grant an interim order closing the court from public scrutiny on Monday. That order will be reconsidered on Wednesday. The cricketer had spent a night in custody at the Surry Hills Police Station before appearing in handcuffs and a grey T-shirt via video link at the court. “Yes sir,” he told the court when asked if his video link was working. Gunathilaka travelled to Australia with Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup team but only played in the team’s first game, a loss against Namibia, before being ruled out of the competition with a hamstring tear. The cricketer had been holding up well considering the circumstances, his lawyer told media outside the court. “He has the full support of the Sri Lankan High Commissioner and the Sri Lankan Cricket Board. So he is okay,” Amaranath said. The left-handed batsman has played nearly 100 T20 and one-day internationals for Sri Lanka and eight test matches. Sri Lanka lost its final group match to England on Saturday in the T20 World Cup and the rest of the team — minus Gunathilaka — left for home on Sunday. In a statement Sunday, Sri Lanka Cricket said it had been notified of the charges, would monitor court proceedings closely and, in consultation with the International Cricket Council, would “expeditiously initiate a thorough inquiry into the matter and take stern action against the player if found guilty.”

Australian expert Dr David Brewster has said there are gaps in Bangladesh’s maritime security capabilities that need to be built upon or enhanced with a comprehensive picture of its maritime domain in place first. “Bangladesh does not have a clear picture of what is happening in the maritime domain,” Brewster, who specializes in South Asian and Indian Ocean strategic affairs, told UNB in an interview. He said there needs to be a system so that Bangladesh understands what is happening out there and it is necessary to create a basis to get benefitted from the blue economy. The expert said, for example, there is illegal fishing going on but no one has ever done a proper study on its extent. Read More: Bangladesh Navy deserves appreciation for ensuring maritime security while facing natural challenges: PM “That is an absolutely fundamental thing,” he said, adding, “study first if you want to get benefit from the marine resources. You have to do the study to figure it out – the amount of resources and how much illegal fishing is taking place.” Brewster, from the National Security College in Canberra, laid emphasis on generating awareness about everything that is going on in the maritime domain – illegal fishing, drug smuggling, and human trafficking, if any. “In my view, Australia can be very useful to Bangladesh,” he said, mentioning that lack of a clear picture hinders law enforcement and the protection of maritime resources.  Brewster said Australia has useful experience in this area and can help Bangladesh develop its maritime search and rescue capabilities. Read more: Bangladesh, Australia want meaningful partnership “We want to see all our neighbours having the ability to properly manage and govern their maritime spaces. More broadly, we want to see a stable and prosperous Bangladesh,” said the expert. He said Australia can also provide targeted capability-building assistance on selected transnational security issues. Talking about growing “competition and rivalries” among major powers in the region, the Australian expert said, “I should say, Bangladesh has handled this competition very well, at least so far.” Appreciating the process and policies that Bangladesh follows in terms of taking projects and investment, he said, “In my view, Bangladesh has been very cautious.” Read More: Blue economy potentials: Experts for maritime affairs ministry Responding to a question, Brewster said beyond economy, Bangladesh and Australia have a lot of shared interests in the region in terms of stability, resilience and making sure that other countries in the region are stable and resilient. 

Ireland captain Andrew Balbirnie won the toss Monday and sent defending champion Australia in to bat in a crucial Group 1 game for both teams in terms of semifinal calculations at the Twenty20 World Cup. Balbirnie is aiming to put Australia’s struggling top order under immediate pressure on a dry pitch but under overcast conditions at the Gabba and back his team to chase a target. Read more: 'Filmed inside hotel room during T20 World Cup': Kohli appalled, concerned over privacy Ireland and Australia are equal with England on three points after a win, a loss and a washout each. A loss at the Gabba would likely end the playoff prospects for either team. Ireland is on a high after qualifying through the first round and then producing an upset win over England in the Super 12 stage. Australia was heavily beaten in the Super 12 opener against New Zealand and then beat Sri Lanka before its game against England was washed out. The Australians need to improve their net run rate, one of the tiebreakers if teams finish equal on competition points in the top two positions in the group. Read more: T20 World Cup: South Africa beat India by 5 wickets “It’s obviously an issue after copping a decent thumping against New Zealand,” Australia captain Aaron Finch said, adding that if there was a chance to accelerate the scoring rate his team would be ready. “If opportunity presents, you look to take it." The Australians made one change to the lineup with legspinner Adam Zampa returning to replace left-arm spinner Ashton Agar.

Defending champion Australia and England had to be content with splitting the competition points after their Twenty20 World Cup Group 1 game was abandoned because of rain on Friday. Both games in Friday’s double-header at the Melbourne Cricket Ground were washed out without a ball being bowled. Afghanistan has now had two washouts in three days against New Zealand and then Ireland. Heavy rain along Australia's east coast has caused widespread flooding, including in areas near Melbourne. “The outfield has taken a drenching. It’s as wet as I’ve ever seen it in this stadium,” Australia captain Aaron Finch said of his home ground at the MCG. “It’s disappointing not to get on, but the amount of rain has been amazing." Australia and England needed to avoid a loss in their much-hyped showdown to have any realistic chance of progressing to the semifinals. Now both teams are still fully in contention. New Zealand leads the group after its thumping opening win over Australia and its wash out against Afghanistan. England, Ireland and Australia are also on three points, but have each played one more game than New Zealand and have inferior net run-rates. England was coming off an upset loss to Ireland on Wednesday and was determined to get back into winning form against Australia heading into last two group games against New Zealand in Brisbane next Tuesday and Sri Lanka in Sydney on Nov. 5. “It was due to be a massive occasion,” England captain Jos Buttler said of the game against Australia in front of a big crowd at the MCG. “A full house here against Australia. Very disappointed not to get it played.” Australia will host Ireland in Brisbane on Monday and finish the group stage against Afghanistan. New Zealand and Sri Lanka were scheduled to play on Saturday. Group 2 is back in action Sunday with a double-header in Perth featuring Pakistan against Netherlands and India taking on South Africa.