India V Australia, 1st T20I: Australia Predicted XI
Oct 6, 2017 at 2:50 PM
After losing the ODI series by a 1-4 margin, the Aussies will be eager to restore some of its lost pride in the three-match T20I series against the Men in Blue starting tomorrow at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi. The 16 member squad consists of 5 new faces who weren’t part of the ODI squad and the T20 specialists will be hoping to make a turnaround for the team.
The visitors suffered an injury scare ahead of the match when captain Steve Smith suffered a minor shoulder injury but the MRI scans ruled out anything dangerous, and the doctor cleared him to take part in the first T20I tomorrow. So now let us have a look at the Australian Predicted XI for tomorrow’s encounter.
David Warner
The southpaw hasn’t been in the best of forms but is always a force to reckon with especially in the shortest format of the game. He can toy with any bowling attack, but the Indians will be hoping to keep him quiet which would stall Australia’s progress. He will expect to revive his lost touch and get back to some run-scoring form.
Aaron Finch
Finch made a sensational comeback in the ODI series as the big man smashed a brilliant century in the 3rd ODI but it wasn’t enough to save Australia from the blushes as the visitors went on to lose that match and with that the series. He will certainly look to give some nightmares to the Indian bowlers come tomorrow. With Warner and Finch at the top of the order, we can guarantee entertainment if the pair can stay there for a while.
Steve Smith (c)
The Aussie skipper who suffered an injury scare ahead of the match has been declared fit to take part. His form will be a point of concern as the unorthodox batsman hasn’t been able to eke out those big scores which he had done against India for a long time now. The outcome of the series might well depend on how the top 3 of the Australian team perform.
Travis Head
The southpaw is expected to be part of the playing XI tomorrow given his experience of playing in the ODI series; he looked in good touch in some of the matches. He can decimate bowling attacks, so he walks into the Australian XI in tomorrow’s clash.
Glenn Maxwell
Despite an indifferent ODI series, Maxwell will walk into the playing XI without a doubt given his exceptional hitting abilities. He showed glimpses of his marauding approach in some of the matches but couldn’t entirely convert his starts into big ones. He is also a handy off-break bowler and can give his captain some crucial overs if other bowlers go for runs.
Moises Henriques
The all-rounder wasn’t part of the ODI squad, but given his credentials in this format, Henriques might be a handy option in these circumstances. He has the experience of playing enough in India after emerging as an essential member of the Sunrisers Hyderabad squad in the IPL and given his all-round abilities he should be a part of the Australian playing XI tomorrow.
Tim Paine
Paine will be making a comeback in Australian colours after playing his last match against Sri Lanka earlier in the year. He was part of the World XI squad which toured Pakistan for a T20I series very recently and scored 25 and 10 in the two matches he got a chance to bat. He had previously opened for Australia in the ODI format, but with Finch and Warner in the squad, Paine’s chances of cracking the innings look bleak.
Nathan Coulter-Nile
The fast bowler was impressive in the ODI series and bagged ten wickets in the five matches. He bowled in the right areas and generated pace and bounce. He was the standout bowler for the visitors in the ODI series and looked like picking wickets on many occasions. He is also a handy lower order batsman and can strike some lusty blows.
Adam Zampa
The leggie is the only frontline spinner in the squad and will look to prove a point in the T20I series. He was attacked mercilessly by Hardik Pandya, but it was the leggie who had the last laugh. He is an impressive T20I bowler and will look to make justice to his reputation.
Kane Richardson
The right arm fast bowler was another standout bowler for the Aussies bagging seven wickets in the three matches he got a chance to play. He will look to carry on his wicket-taking form in the T20I series as well and help the visitors stall the progress of the star-studded Indian batting line-up.
Andrew Tye
The T20 specialist Andrew Tye has some exceptional slower deliveries up his sleeve and could prove to be the thorn in the flesh for the Aussies in their bid to make a turnaround in the T20I series. He can bowl some exceptional cutters and back of the hand deliveries which can bamboozle any good batsman. Tye was part of the Gujarat Lions squad in the IPL and bagged a sensational hat-trick in his debut for the franchise.