Two worlds collide as India and Australia face off in first heavyweight contest of 2019 Cricket World Cup

Both teams are undefeated. Mitchell Starc and Jasprit Bumrah the two best bowlers of the tournament. The batting line ups are compelling. The first heavyweight clash of this World Cup promises a match to savour.

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Australia’s game against India at The Oval on Sunday is the first heavy weight clash of the World Cup and the first since the reigning champions won three consecutive games to beat the Indians at home earlier this year.

Mitchell Starc and Jasprit Bumrah are the two best bowlers of the tournament. The batting line ups are compelling and the contest proves to be the same.

Both teams are undefeated, both number among the favourites to be there at the end alongside New Zealand and England.

Mitchell Starc showed flashes of his 2015 form in his destruction of the West Indies.

It is going to be a fascinating measure of where Justin Langer’s side is at. They have won their past 10 ODI games, including the first two of the tournament. The reversal of form has taken some time to sink in after two years where they were beaten in every series they played.

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England, who have dominated the ODI form for some time, have long been considered the team to beat. They put in a shocker, however, against Pakistan at Trent Bridge on Monday. Joe Root came out after that game and said it was important not to panic.

Which suggested that is exactly what was happening.

Their fielding was poor in the game. Catches were dropped. Balls went between legs and run outs missed. Their bowling was middling at best. Jofra Archer, supposedly the X factor that the side needed, did not have a good match.

The hype around Jofra Archer faded a touch after an ordinary showing in defeat to Pakistan.

Good sides don’t turn bad overnight and the home team should learn from the outing, but the seeds of doubt have been planted.

The West Indies might have lost to Australia but they have a brute force in their batting and bowling line up that will threaten a lot of teams.

They showed that when they knocked over Pakistan for 105 in the first match and chased down the runs inside 15 overs.

They seem, however, to only know one way — also a knock on England — and sides have to be able to adapt to the situation as Australia did in their last win.

Steve Smith showed steel, resolve and class in his anchor role against the West Indies.

Steve Smith dug deep, Nathan Coulter-Nile produced a miracle innings and the bowlers stuck to their task until Mitchell Starc did what we all know he can do.

Don’t ignore the Kiwis. They made the finals in 2015 and have the sort of balance in their team that can get them there again. Two wins from two games is a great start.

Sunday’s contest is tantalising. Jasprit Bumrah against Aaron Finch will be something. The Indian quick had the Australian captain’s number in the two series the sides played earlier this summer and almost cost him a place in the World Cup.

Jasprit Bumrah had Aaron Finch’s number in the recent Test series between the two sides.

Finch admitted as much in an interview with SEN ahead of the tournament.

“You walk out to bat and you see Bumrah at the top of his mark and you think, ‘here we go again’,” he said.

“In the back of your mind you’re thinking the World Cup is not far away and as a captain I could be left out of the World Cup squad. Then you start putting unrealistic pressure on yourself.”

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The 93 Finch made in the fourth match of the series in India was his only 50 plus score in a run of 10 innings and the spark he needed to get back in a good place.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are two of the best batsmen in the world and Australia’s bowlers will love the chance to test themselves against the pair.

Indian opener Rohit Sharma is one of the finest batsmen of this generation.

Starc, fresh from a five wicket haul in Nottingham, is looking forward to the challenge.

“For us it’s to continue talking about what we do really well and what we can control,” he said. “We know they’re a fantastic team. They’ve got depth in their batting, they’re strong throughout.

“Virat is obviously one of their key batsmen. Rohit scored a hundred, as well, so we’ll have a chat about them as a bowling group, but at the same time we’ve got to remember what we can control, and … I guess that’s our strengths and where we want to bowl to the conditions, as well.”

Usman Khawaja looked uncomfortable against the West Indies short ball bowlers, but will not have to worry too much about that treatment unless the team meets that side again in the finals, for few teams have men that tall and that quick.

Australia are unlikely to make any changes to the team that played the first two games.