Mohali : The first T20 International of the three-match series between India and Australia will begin in Mohali on September 20. The second T20 match of the series will take place on September 23, in Nagpur and the third and final T20 match will be held in Hyderabad on September 25.
Though India could not progress beyond the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup 2022, some positive things are coming in this series. The biggest thing among them is Virat Kohli’s return to form again. Kohli scored 276 runs in five innings during the Asia Cup, which included a century and two half-centuries. The way Kohli was batting in the Asia Cup was not seen in a long time and fans will be hoping that the same form of Kohli will continue in this series as well.
Opener KL Rahul and skipper Rohit Sharma will have to lay a solid foundation for the big scores by giving them a positive start for which they are known. KL, however, will need to score well in all three matches with a great strike rate as he has been out of form since his return from injury, which could put his place in the team in jeopardy.
This series is an opportunity for middle-order batsmen like Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant to score big against a world-class team. Pant has scored well against Australia in Test cricket and this will be his chance to prove his worth as a T20 player, a format he has mostly struggled with.
The Indian bowling attack got a boost with the return of Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel. They will both be eager to take wickets on their return as the World Cup approaches. Other fast bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar and spinners Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal will also have to do well.
Australia, on the other hand, are coming into this series with a lot of confidence after a few T20I series wins throughout the year and a 3-0 win over New Zealand in ODIs. All eyes will be on power-hitter Tim David, who has been included in the Australian squad. He can be quite dangerous with his no-look shots and big sixes and the Indian bowlers have to be wary of him.
Captain Aaron Finch will have to rectify his poor form by scoring runs against India to boost his team’s chances in the series and the World Cup as well. The series will also be an opportunity for star batsman Steve Smith to establish himself as a T20 player.
While Australia will miss out on stars like Mitchell Marsh, David Warner and Marcus Stoinis, this series will be a good opportunity for players like all-rounder Cameron Green and Daniel Sams, batsman Josh Inglis, pacer Nathan Ellis to secure their place in the team. .
Australia are traveling the subcontinent with a top-class bowling attack with Josh Hazlewood, Sean Abbott, Adam Zampa and Pat Cummins. These bowlers can destroy the batting attack of any team with their aggression.
Indian squad for Australia series: Rohit Sharma (capt), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Hardik Pandya, R.K. Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav.
Australia squad for T20I series against India: Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Aaron Finch (c), Cameron Greene, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Daniel Sams, Steve Smith, Matthew Wade, Adam Zampa.