Archer carries the threat, and Atkinson is the question. On 13 November, England start a three-match ODI trip in Perth, with the pair leading a pace attack that has already lost Josh Tongue to a toe injury. Maxwell, Stoinis and Smith have all retired from the format, so the home batting order looks different from the one these bowlers met before. Whether the two quicks stay fit and sharp decides if England’s thin seam group holds together. That uncertainty is the story of the tour.
Workload management shapes this tour. England picked a near full-strength squad, yet four quicks, Archer, Atkinson, Baker and Tongue, fly home when the ODIs finish so they arrive fresh for the Test trip to South Africa. Archer already missed the tri-series in Pakistan under the same logic. England are trading ODI depth for Test freshness, and the bill arrives in Perth.
That strategy took a hit on 7 November, when Tongue dropped out through a toe problem. Cover for the two lead quicks is now thinner than the selectors wanted. Each spell Archer and Atkinson bowl across the three games will matter more as a result, because nobody else in the camp has an ODI record that inspires confidence.
Archer has met this batting order before with uneven returns. His Lord’s spell in September 2024 gave 2/33 across seven overs, with Mitchell Marsh bowled. Lahore in February 2025 brought a caught-and-bowled dismissal of Travis Head for 6, but also an expensive 1/82 over ten overs. The evidence points both ways.
Head had earlier made an unbeaten 154 in the 2024 series opener, when Archer finished wicketless. The Lahore wicket shows what a good new-ball burst can do, while the 154 shows the damage when the burst fails. That swing explains why the opening overs in Perth matter so much to England’s chances.
The top two rows of the table tell the main story. Archer owns 71 wickets from 42 ODIs at 26.42 and concedes 5.14 an over. Atkinson has 25 wickets from 20 games at 36.96, and he goes for 6.26. One is a proven wicket-taker in this format, and the other is still finding his way.
White-ball cricket has been harder for Atkinson than Tests. His 83 wickets in the longer format come at 25.34, yet his best ODI haul is 3/50. Overton and Curran bring experience, but no sharper returns, and neither has a clear counter to these hosts. England therefore lean on a thin evidence base in this format.
2/33 at Lord’s in 2024, 1/82 in Lahore in 2025
2/45 in Ahmedabad at the 2023 World Cup
Sri Lanka were his opponents in an ODI on 29 October, so his match rhythm is recent as he heads for the Perth opener. The concern is durability, because a hamstring injury forced him out of the West Indies ODIs in 2025. England will watch his body language in the first week as closely as his figures.
A 36.96 average allied to an economy above six hints that these batters will back themselves against him. A leaky first spell would leave England waiting on Archer for early wickets, and that is a risky way to defend a total. Control is the one quality England need most from him.
England have little beyond the lead two. Baker went wicketless for 76 on his debut in the format in September 2025, and 25-year-old Henry Crocombe may get a first cap. Overton and Curran supply miles in the legs but not threatening numbers.
None of these options troubles the hosts’ top order the way a fast new-ball spell might. That is why the Jofra Archer & Gus Atkinson Australia ODIs story will be settled in the first ten overs of each match. If Archer strikes early and Atkinson holds a line, England stay in the contest.
Can Archer’s pace beat a rebuilt home order, or will Atkinson’s economy cost England the opener? Give us your view in the comments.
Who are England’s fast bowlers for the Australia ODIs?
Archer, Atkinson, Baker, Overton, Curran and Crocombe make up the pace group. Josh Tongue dropped out on 7 November because of a toe problem, which thins the attack further.
How many ODI wickets has Jofra Archer taken?
Archer has taken 71 wickets in 42 ODIs. He averages 26.42 and concedes 5.14 an over, which marks him as the proven wicket-taker in this England attack.
Is Gus Atkinson fit for the ODI series in Australia?
Atkinson is available for selection and played in the 29 October match with Sri Lanka. England intend to rest him once the matches end, with the South Africa Tests next on the schedule.
Who is playing for the hosts in the ODI series?
Mitchell Marsh leads a 14-man group. Travis Head, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey and Adam Zampa are the best-known names, and several players may debut.
Why are Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood not playing against England?
Australia rested the trio to prepare for Tests against New Zealand and India. The decision is part of workload management and opens the door for new faces in the ODIs.
