KL Rahul was the Orange Cap holder in IPL 2020 and a lot will depend on how he plays at the top of the order.
Last Updated: 4th Dec,2020 11:07AM
India didn’t start their Australia sojourn on a grand note after losing the three-match ODI series. However, since they managed to win the dead-rubber by 13 runs, it should give them some confidence if not a whole lot.
The Virat Kohli-captained unit are now set to play in the T20Is, which is scheduled to get underway on Friday, December 4 with the first match at the Manuka Oval in Canberra. While India will be looking to make amends, the Aussies have a few concerns as well. David Warner and Pat Cummins won’t be a part of the series.
Moreover, Mitchell Starc and Marcus Stoinis are also nursing injuries and their participation in the 20-overs games looks uncertain. In their previous T20I series in Australia in 2018-19, both teams won a game each with the other match being washed off.
Pitch and Conditions
The pitch in Canberra has generally been helpful for the batters. But only one T20I has taken place thus far at the venue. Chasing 151, Australia beat Pakistan by seven wickets in November 2019. Contrary to the ODIs, teams may opt to chase.
The spinners did a good job in the last ODI and they’ll be in focus again. The temperature will be around the 21 degrees Celsius mark during match time.
Playing Combinations for AUS vs IND
Australia
Aaron Finch (C), D’Arcy Short, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Alex Carey (WK), Moises Henriques/Marcus Stoinis, Cameron Green, Ashton Agar, Sean Abbott, Josh Hazlewood/Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa
Bench– Marnus Labuschagne, Marcus Stoinis/Moises Henriques, Daniel Sams, Matthew Wade, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood/Andrew Tye
India
KL Rahul (WK), Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli (C), Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah
Bench– Mayank Agarwal, Washington Sundar, Sanju Samson, T Natarajan, Navdeep Saini
Probable Top Performers for AUS vs IND
Steve Smith- Australia
Steve Smith might only have an average of 27.38 from 42 T20Is, but the fact that he was the Player of the Series in the ODIs with two centuries can’t be denied. Moreover, in the T20I played in Canberra, Smith became the Player of the Match.
He scored 80 runs off 51 balls with 11 fours and one six. If he gets going, the Men in Blue might find themselves chasing leather even in the shorter format.
KL Rahul– India
KL Rahul played only one decent knock out of the three ODIs, batting in the middle order. However, in the T20Is, he’s likely to open the batting. In T20Is, he averages 45.65 at a strike-rate of 146.10, showing that he has the ability to change gears.
Also, he was the Orange Cap holder in the 2020 IPL, depicting that his recent T20 form is worth envying. The hosts would be looking to dismiss him as early as possible.
AUS vs IND Head to Head
Overall
Played – 20 | Australia Won – 8 | India Won – 11 | Tie/NR – 1
In Australia
Played – 9 | Australia Won – 3 | India Won – 5 | NR – 1
Average first innings score: 150 (only T20I played in Canberra)
Record of chasing teams: Won- 1 | Lost- 0
Broadcast Details
Match timings – 07:10 PM local time, 01:40 PM IST
TV – Sony SIX
Live Streaming – Sony LIV
