After losing the three-match ODI series 2-1, the Indian cricket team will look to make amends in the T20Is series Down Under, when they lock horns with Australia in the first T20I match on Friday.
Australia vs India Match Details
Date: December 04, 2020
Time: 01:40 PM IST
Venue: Manuka Oval, Canberra
Pitch Report
The average first innings score at the Manuka Oval in the last five T20s is 171. Only once has a team successfully chased down the total. So, the captain winning the toss would prefer batting first at this venue.
Player availability
Australia opener David Warner has been ruled out of the T20I series due to a groin injury he suffered during the second ODI, while pace spearhead Pat Cummins has been rested as part of workload management. Mitchell Starc, Ashton Agar and Marcus Stoinis are also doubtful for the first T20I.
On the other hand, India might miss out on the services of young pacer Navdeep Saini due to injury.
Australia vs India 1st T20I Predicted XI
Australia predicted XI: Matthew Wade, Aaron Finch, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Alex Carey (wicket-keeper), Cameron Green, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Ashton Agar, Adam Zampa, Sean Abbott
India predicted XI: KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, T Natarajan
Australia vs India Fantasy XI:
Wicket-keeper: KL Rahul (Vice-captain)
KL Rahul had won the Orange Cap in the recently concluded Indian T20 League season, after he amassed a staggering 670 runs in 14 games at an average of 55.83 with five fifties and one century. He is also expected to replace Rohit Sharma in the playing 11 in the shortest format of the game.
Batsmen: Aaron Finch, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli (Captain), Steve Smith
Virat Kohli and Steve Smith are undoubtedly two of the greatest players of this generation. So, it’s basically a no-brainer to have them in any fantasy 11. On the other hand, Aaron Finch and Shikhar Dhawan have been in great touch in the recently concluded ODI series. The Australian captain was the highest run-getter in the recently-concluded ODI series, accumulating 249 runs at an average of 83.
All-rounders: Hardik Pandya, Glenn Maxwell
Hardik Pandya and Glenn Maxwell were the standout performers in the recently concluded ODI series as well. While Pandya had amassed scores of 90, 28 and 92 not out in the three matches, Maxwell was at his destructive best with a couple of half-centuries to his name. These two are expected to continue their scintillating form in the upcoming T20 series Down Under.
Bowlers: Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Jasprit Bumrah
Adam Zampa and Josh Hazlewood were the main nemesis of the famed Indian batting line-up in the ODIs. The two claimed 13 wickets in total to help the Aussies clinch the ODI series 2-1. Additionally, Mitchell Starc, if fit, can be one of the biggest match-winners on his day.
For India, Jasprit Bumrah is hands down one of the best bowlers in T20s as was evident in his recent Indian T20 League campaign, where he picked 27 wickets in just 15 matches at an average of 14.96.
Feature image courtesy: AFP / David Gray
