India vs Australia 1st T20I
Call it a clash of Titans as Team India is slated to host the current T20 World Champions in a three-match T20I series as both sides prepare for the upcoming T20 World Cup. One team is currently number one while the other is the current world champion. The teams have brought in their best squads and will take on each other in a high-profile contest. Here in this article, we are looking at a match preview at India vs Australia 1st T20I, Australia tour of India 2022.
Batting for India looks quite evolved as Virat Kohli returned to form in India’s most recent Asia Cup match, making 122 runs at a strike rate of 200 and reaching his 71st international century. Shreyas Iyer and Ishan, India’s second and third highest run scorers in T20Is this year, have been omitted from the squad for the series and even the world cup squad. Openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul will need to score big immediately to be ready for the T20 World Cup. Suryakumar Yadav has been Team India’s highest T20I scorer since 2022, with 567 runs in 17 innings at an incredible strike rate of 182.31.
Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel are finally back in the squad after a long recovery from their respective injury. They will join Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the pace attack who has been India’s leading wicket-taker this year, with 31 wickets in 21 innings at an economy of 6.63. The much-anticipated comeback of Mohammad Shami has been postponed as he has tested positive for COVID. He is replaced by Umesh Yadav and it will be interesting to see if he is in the playing XI.
Captain Aaron Finch of Australia, the reigning World T20 Champions, has been the team’s best scorer in T20ls this year, with 247 runs in 9 matches. None of the other players have scored more than 200 runs in T20ls this season. But the team hones batters like Glenn Maxwell, Tim David, Josh Inglis, and Matthew Wade, who are as lethal as it gets when they get going would pose a formidable test to the home squad.
Even though Starc, Mitch Marsh, and Marcus Stoinis are missing in the pace attack, Josh Hazlewood and Kane Richardson have been standouts for Australia’s bowling attack. While Hazlewood has 14 wickets in six matches, Richardson has 13 wickets in seven. Their bowling would be something to look forward to. Pat Cummins and Adam Zampa who are well aware of India’s playing style will add value to the bowling department.
How the pitch will play?
Before the Narendra Modi Stadium, Mohali was amongst the biggest grounds in India which gave feels of grounds in Australia. Fast bowlers usually get some early help off the surface at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali. The pitch has a nice bounce throughout the match, so the Aussies will undoubtedly like the surface. The batting gets easier at Mohali once the initial few overs are done. Once the batters are situated, the speedy outfield helps them score swiftly.
The dew factor has previously been seen to have an impact on the games in Mohali. As a result, after winning the toss, any team would undoubtedly opt to bowl first.
What to expect in the middle?
Both the teams have solid batting lineups. Australia though will miss David Warner in the opening. We can expect a good 40+ in the powerplay, 35+ in death overs, and a solid 180+ overall score.
From India, if Rohit Sharma gets going, we can expect a good 50 in the powerplay, a solid 40+ in death overs, and a good score of 190+ overall.
Players to Watch out for:
Virat Kohli is the man with the highest runs in T20s against Australia. All eyes should be on his form and how he takes on Aussie bowlers. Expectations grounds should be laid for KL Rahul who has disappointed us in Asia Cup. We expect a good performance from him. In bowlers, we definitely look forward to Bumrah and Harshal Patel. How Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowls in early overs will be interesting to watch.
Aaron Finch is strong as an opener, he is expected to score good runs. Steve Smith hasn’t been his best when it comes to scoring runs at a quick pace, but since he is accustomed well to conditions, we can expect runs from him as well. Their middle order is formed by Glenn Maxwell, Tim David, and Josh Inglis, they are all expected to give us some spectacular action.
In bowling, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood should impress. As a spinner, Adam Zampa will hold a lot of responsibility, how he performs will have a major impact on Australia’s luck in the series.
India vs Australia: Probable Playing XI.
India – KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant (wk), Axar Patel/Ravichandran Ashwin, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal.
Australia – Aaron Finch (c), Josh Inglis, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell. Tim David, Matthew Wade (wk), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Adam Zampa, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood.
India vs Australia 1st T20I: Who will win?
India leads in the overall bilateral series taking place between India and Australia. The Ozzies carry a formidability with them and that is something that makes this contest so exciting. We have seen them performing their best in the recent past. As for India, they come from a much disappointing Asia Cup tournament but will be looking to change momentum before the World Cup. The clash is going to be high rising. We can expect Australia to completely take over at any point but for this match, India is the favorite to win.
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