Australia vs India T20I Series Preview and 1st Match Predictions

Although they lead India on wins in both tests and 50-over matches, Australia trail India in the T20 format. After a convincing series win, though, they are surely looking to better those stats. India had been the dominant force in international T20s for a while, but slipped down to 3rd after a string of defeats over the last couple of years - including two against Australia themselves in the 2018/2019 season. Now, it’s payback time for more reasons than just that defeat, and with the entire squad full of T20 temperament from their recent IPL exploits, India will be coming in all guns blazing. Of course, most of the Aussie squad participated in that tournament as well, and they won’t be far behind, especially since they’ve just received a large dose of morale. Readers, prepare yourselves, because this one’s not going to be for the faint of heart, and before this roller coaster starts down the track, let’s take a look at its cars.

Australia Squad, Preview, & Form

Announced Australia squad: Aaron Finch (c), Pat Cummins, Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey (wk), Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Daniel Sams, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye, Matthew Wade (wk), David Warner, Adam Zampa.

Australia’s T20 squad is identical to its ODI squad, and there’s more than enough firepower to dispose of any bowling attack. Players like Steven Smith and Glenn Maxwell may not have been stellar at this year’s IPL, but as they’ve already proven in the ODI series, they are deadly at home. Aaron Finch is in terrific form, and Alex Carey and Pat Cummins can also be handy with the bat. The same Cummins is deadly with the ball, and will have support from Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Adam Zampa. It’s going to be a tough test for India’s much-hyped T20 squad.

India Squad, Preview, & Form

Announced India squad: Virat Kohli (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Sanju Samson (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Navdeep Saini, Deepak Chahar, Varun Chakravarthy, Thangarasu Natarajan.

When your squad consists entirely of players that made their bones in a tournament watched by over a billion people, they are almost certainly the cream of the crop. With a slew of solid batsmen supported by brutal hitters, the Indian squad looks well-balanced in terms of batting. In the bowling department, they’ve got some usual suspects. Some players who did well in the IPL are notably missing, though, and India may rue the selection should things go wrong. Axar Patel and Shardul Thakur are just two of the exclusions, and although there are limitations to selection, it’s a pity they weren’t included.

Head to head

In 20 meetings, India has won 11 to Australia’s 8. One was a no result, and there have been no ties between them. The last time India won a T20 series against Australia, however, was way back in 2015/16. Since then, two series were drawn, while the last one was taken by Australia. The two squads this year are very well matched, and all we can hope for is that the weather at the Manuka Oval doesn’t interfere with the game. 

Australia vs Indian 1st T20 Predictions

Australia have done extremely well in the ODIs, and they have every reason to take that form into the T20Is. Expect Steven Smith and Glenn Maxwell to hit them out of the park, while Ashton Agar and Pat Cummins show their skills with the ball.

This is India’s golden chance to gain on T20 ranking leaders England and second place Australia, and there’s no way they’re letting it slide easily. Expect Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Jasprit Bumrah to excel in their respective departments.

Can Australia repeat their performance from the ODI series to put India on the back foot? Or will the visitors use what they’ve learned from the IPL effectively? Find out on Friday!