Australia vs India 3rd T20I: Preview, Probable XI, Head-to-Head and Fantasy 11

India and Australia will lock horns during the third Twenty20 International (T20I) at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney on Tuesday. The visiting side has already gained an unassailable lead of 2-0 in the ongoing three-match series.

If the ‘Men in Blue’ emerge victorious in this clash, they won’t only clean sweep the T20Is but will also surpass the Aussies for the second spot in the ICC T20I team rankings. The game will kickstart at 1:40 PM (IST) onwards on December 8, 2020.

Team Preview

Australia

The Australian team couldn’t replicate their One Day International (ODI) performance in the T20Is. After winning the 50-over cricket series 2-1, the kangaroos were expected to have a similar run in the shortest format as well. However, constant injuries to players kept them on backfoot against Virat Kohli and co. 

Team Australia is expected to play with the same playing XI as there are not many reserve players left with them. Skipper Aaron Finch’s absence would continue to be a massive blow for the home side.

India

After losing two back-to-back one-sided clashes in the opening two matches of the tour, no one expected India to bounce back with this intensity. Virat Kohli’s men now have three consecutive wins in their kitty against Australia. The victory in the last ODI match set the momentum for them for the shortest format.

Hardik Pandya emerged as the biggest positive for team India during this entire limited-over series. His maturity and game-sense have turned him into a genuine match-winner. Coming to the lineup, India would also take the field with the same playing XI just like their opponents. 

Match Details

• Date: December 8, 2020
• Time: 1:40 PM (IST) onwards 
• Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney

Also Read | India vs Australia : “That’s a big win” – Michael Vaughan lauds India for the series win

Squads

Team Australia Full Squad

Matt Wade (Captain), Steve Smith, D’Arcy Short, Moises Henriques, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Nathan Lyon, Daniel Sams, Alex Carey, Sean Abbott, 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, Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar, Mayank Agarwal, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Deepak Chahar, Mohd Shami and T Natarajan

Ideal Playing XIs

Team Australia Playing XI

• Matthew Wade (C&WK)
• D’Arcy Short
• Steve Smith
• Glenn Maxwell
• Moises Henriques
• Marcus Stoinis
• Daniel Sams
• Sean Abbott
• Mitchell Swepson
• Adam Zampa
• Andrew Tye

Team India Playing XI

• Shikhar Dhawan
• KL Rahul (WK)
• Virat Kohli (C)
• Shreyas Iyer
• Sanju Samson
• Hardik Pandya
• Washington Sundar
• Deepak Chahar
• Shardul Thakur
• Yuzvendra Chahal
• T Natarajan

Head-to-Head

• Total matches played: 22
• Australia won: 8
• India won: 13
• No Result: 1
• Tie: 0

Fantasy XI

Wicket-keeper:

• KL Rahul
• Matthew Wade

Batsmen:

• Shikhar Dhawan
• D’Arcy Short
• Virat Kohli (C)
• Steve Smith

All-rounder:

• Hardik Pandya
• Moises Henriques (VC)

Bowlers:

• Adam Zampa
• T Natarajan
• Yuzvendra Chahal

Key Players

• Australia: Matthew Wade, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Adam Zampa
• India: KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, T Natarajan

Also Read | India vs Australia: Rohit Sharma eyes comeback, working on getting leaner ahead of the Test series