ENG vs AUS Dream11 prediction: 3 players you could pick as captain or vice-captain for today’s Ashes 2023 1st Test match – June 16, 2023  

Australia (AUS) and England (ENG) face off in the first Test of Ashes 2023 on Friday (June 16) at Edgbaston in Birmingham.

Australia are the holders of the Ashes, having won the series 4-0 at home in 2021-22. However, they're yet to win a series on English soil since 2001. The Ashes 2023 also marks the start of the WTC 2023-25 cycle.

On that note, here are three players you could pick as captain or vice-captain in your Dream11 team for the ENG vs AUS game

---

#3 Joe Root (ENG) – 9 credits

England & Ireland Net Sessions

Joe Root has incredible numbers at the Edgbaston. He has scored 669 runs in seven games at an average of 60.81 with two centuries and four half-centuries.

If he scores 201 more runs in the opening Test, he will surpass Alastair Cook as the leading run-getter in Birmingham. Fantasy users should definitely pick him for the ENG vs AUS game.

---

#2 Steve Smith (AUS) – 9 credits

Steve Smith in Australia nets session

Steve Smith has played only two Tests at Edgbaston, but he has excellent numbers.

He has scored 301 runs at an average of 75.25, with two hundreds and a top score of 144. Having also played well in the final of the WTC 2021-23, Smith will be high on confidence. So, he should definitely be picked in fantasy teams for the ENG vs AUS game.

---

#1 Usman Khawaja (AUS) – 8.5 credits

Australia vs India - ICC World Test Championship Final 2023: Day Three

Usman Khawaja was arguably one of the standout batters in the previous cycle of the WTC.

He was also the leading run-scorer in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy earlier this year on pitches where other Aussie batters struggled. Although he couldn’t perform in the WTC final, he's expected to make a comeback here. So, fantasy users should pick him for the ENG vs AUS game.