Australia vs India 1st T20I: Preview, Probable XI, Head-to-Head and Fantasy 11

Australia vs India 1st T20I: Preview, Probable XI, Head-to-Head and Fantasy 11
Australia vs India 1st T20I

After a 2-1 victory for Australia in the One Day International (ODI) series against India, the two sides will now lock horns in the three Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). The Manuka Oval in Canberra will host the opening 20-over game on December 4, 2020, from 1:40 PM (IST) onwards.

Team Preview

Australia

Australian Cricket Team

The home team completely dominated the game throughout the series, missing out on registering a whitewash. After winning two one-sided matches in the opening clashes, Australia lost the third ODI by a narrow margin of 13 runs. Batsmen like Aaron Finch, Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell would love to replicate their forms in the shortest format as well. 

However, the Aussies suffered a massive blow after their star opener David Warner suffered from a groin injury during the second ODI. He will miss the entire T20I series against India. Moreover, Pat Cummins has been rested from all the three matches to preserve him for the Tests.

India

Indian Cricket Team

The Indian team had a disappointing first two matches of the tour, losing by 66 and 51 runs respectively. However, Virat Kohli’s men bounced back in the third game to gain some momentum ahead of the T20Is. Hardik Pandya with bat turned out to be the biggest positive for India as he emerged as the leading run-scorer for the visiting side.

India would continue rotating its star pacers, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami to keep them fit for the longer format. Deepak Chahar might come back in place of Shardul Thakur. Moreover, KL Rahul will move up in the batting order to open the innings alongside Shikhar Dhawan. 

Match Details

  • Date: December 4, 2020
  • Time: 1:40 PM (IST) onwards 
  • Venue: Manuka Oval, Canberra

Also Read | India vs Australia: “It’s up to the bowlers to evolve” – Glenn Maxwell defends switch-hits

Squads

Team Australia Full Squad

Aaron Finch (Captain), Steve Smith, D’Arcy Short, Moises Henriques, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Ashton Agar, Cameron Green, Daniel Sams, Alex Carey, Matt Wade, Sean Abbott, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa and Andrew Tye

Team India Full Squad

Virat Kohli (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Sanju Samson, Manish Pandey, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Mayank Agarwal, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Deepak Chahar, Mohd Shami and T Natarajan

Ideal Playing XIs

Team Australia Playing XI

  • Aaron Finch (C)
  • D’Arcy Short/Matthew Wade
  • Steve Smith
  • Glenn Maxwell
  • Moises Henriques
  • Cameron Green
  • Alex Carey (WK)
  • Ashton Agar
  • Mitchell Starc
  • Adam Zampa
  • Josh Hazlewood

Team India Playing XI

  • Shikhar Dhawan
  • KL Rahul (WK)
  • Virat Kohli (C)
  • Shreyas Iyer
  • Manish Pandey
  • Hardik Pandya
  • Ravindra Jadeja
  • Deepak Chahar
  • T Natarajan
  • Yuzvendra Chahal
  • Jasprit Bumrah

Head-to-Head

  • Total matches played: 20
  • Australia won: 8
  • India won: 11
  • No Result: 1
  • Tie: 0

Fantasy XI

Wicket-keeper:

  • KL Rahul

Batsmen:

  • Aaron Finch (VC)
  • Steve Smith 
  • Virat Kohli (C)
  • Shreyas Iyer

All-rounder:

  • Hardik Pandya
  • Glenn Maxwell

Bowlers:

  • Adam Zampa
  • T Natarajan
  • Jasprit Bumrah
  • Yuzvendra Chahal

Key Players

  • Australia: Aaron Finch, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Adam Zampa
  • India: KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah

Also Read | India vs Australia: ‘India has found a pure number 6 batsman in Hardik Pandya,’ reckons Sanjay Manjrekar