Finalists' road to the Tri-Series final

After 16 days, six matches and a couple of tense finishes, the Carlton Mid ODI Tri-Series is set for its climax between the so-far-invincible Australians and the improving English in Perth.

George Bailey's men have rarely been troubled in their three completed matches, while England have pushed the hosts without reward and been too good for India.

For those who need a quick refresher, here's what you may have missed.

Match 1 - Australia defeated England by three wickets in Sydney

Bad start for England at 2-0 after three balls. The innings got slightly better thanks to 121 from skipper Eoin Morgan, but Starc finished with four wickets to restrict England to 234. David Warner's first ODI ton in almost three years got Australia most of the way there, before Steve Smith and James 'The Finisher' Faulkner brought home a bonus point win. 

Warner and Starc combined to sink England at the SCG

Match 2 - Australia defeated India by four wickets in Melbourne

Starc continued the carnage with 6-43 - a career best - as Rohit Sharma's 138 lifted India to 8-267. Aaron Finch fell four short of a gritty hundred, but Smith's 47 and Shane Watson's 41, oh and Faulkner again at the death, closed out the win with an over to spare. Australia did suffer their first loss of the summer in a way: Bailey was suspended for one match for his second slow over-rate offence in 12 months.

Match 3 - England defeated India by nine wickets in Brisbane

Steve Finn (5-33) and James Anderson (4-18) ripped through the shell-shocked Indian batting order to allow Ian Bell (88 off 91) and James Taylor (56 off 63) enough time to score unbeaten half-centuries in the one-sided romp with 135 balls to spare. 

Finn and Anderson dismantled India

Match 4 - Australia defeated England by three wickets in Hobart

The antithesis of Match 1, England got off to a flyer thanks to Moeen Ali (46 off 48), and through Joe Root (69 off 70) and an outstanding 141 by Bell, a mammoth total was on the cards. But a claustrophobic final 10 overs confined the tourists to 8-303. Replacing Bailey in first game as ODI captain, Smith's mature undefeated knock of 102 guided his charges to what should have been an easy win if not for a nervy final over. 

Smith added another highlight to his stunning summer with the bat

Match 5 - Match abandoned due to wet weather in Sydney

India secured their first points of the tournament thanks to the constant downpour in Sydney. Only 16 overs were bowled, but that left enough time for opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan's wretched run with the bat to continue - out to Starc for eight. 

Australia snared two wickets before the rain sets in

Match 6 - England defeated India by three wickets in Perth

The winner-takes-all match to decide Australia's opponent in the final was a dour affair on an atypically slow WACA wicket. India limped to an even 200 through Ajinkya Rahane's 73 and some late hitting from Mohammed Shami. At 5-66 MS Dhoni's men were flung into favouritism before the cool heads of Taylor (82 off 122) and Jos Buttler (67 off 78) ensured England had another match against the hosts in the lead-up to their February 14 World Cup opener at the MCG.

England were too good for India at the WACA