Marcus Stoinis warns England that Australia will "take that game on"

Victory over Sri Lanka, inspired by the allrounder's 59 from 18 balls in the chase, sets up a decisive meeting with the old enemy at the MCG on Friday (October 28)

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Australia are promising to throw everything at England in the key men's T20 World Cup Super 12s match at the MCG.

The seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka keeps the defending champions' semi-final hopes alive, teeing up a do-or-die clash with their Ashes rivals on Friday (October 28).

Should England beat Ireland in Melbourne they could all but end the hosts' campaign. Jos Buttler's side won the recent three-match T20I series 2-0 earlier this month, with rain denying them a whitewash.

Stoinis smashed an unbeaten 59 from 18 balls - the fastest T20I fifty by an Australian - to down the Sri Lankans in Perth and he admits they travel to Melbourne under immense pressure.

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Stoinis was part of the Australia team beaten 2-0 by England earlier this month (DAVID GRAY/AFP via Getty Images)

"Well, our backs are still against the wall, I think," he told the media. "It's going to be a really important game for us.

"Yeah, I don't know what the equations are going to be later on through the tournament. There's been a bit of rain around Australia, as well.

"Look, the backs are against the wall, and we'll look to take that game on, and yeah, we'll go from there, I guess."

The MCG has already played host to the match of the tournament so far, India's last-gasp four-wicket win over Pakistan, when batters found scoring tricky.

While accepting England's strengths, Stoinis believes conditions will have a major say in the eventual outcome.

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Australia bounced back from losing to New Zealand (Paul Kane/Getty Images)

"Yeah, they're a very, very good team, and we just played a three-game series against them, as well," he added. 

"Very strong batting lineup, skilful bowlers, a good mix of left armers, right armers, spin, leg spin, off spin, so they've got all bases covered.

"But yeah, I think it's also you've got to land on the beach, as they say, and come up with your plan sometimes because I was watching the first game at the MCG, which was a cracker, but there was definitely a bit in that wicket early, as well. 

"You can have your plans, but I guess you've got to sum up the conditions, as well, once you get there."


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