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Join us for live scores and commentary of tonight’s Twenty20 international of Australia vs India, as a new-look Australia will look to continue wreaking misery on India.
Second Twenty20 live commentary here
The last time India played a T20 in Australia, they were blown away for 74 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on a pace-filled track.
Stadium Australia in Sydney could be another baptism by pace for the Indian batsmen if the Big Bash League results are to be believed.
Barring the first game in which Chris Gayle’s insanities with the bat made the opposition bowling look meek, scores of 140 and 117 (16 overs) were defended and another side was bowled out for 99.
Most of the damage in those games was done by the quicker bowlers. With India hit by pace in the Tests, the Indian fans will hope there is no encore performance of that MCG game.
There will be changes to the sides – both from what was on view in Tests and from their respective previous T20Is.
Australia have a new captain, George Bailey, who becomes the first from his country to lead the side on debut since Dave Gregory in the first ever international played in this sport.
Question-marks over his batting form have been raised – and rightly so – and that is the one space the fans will be watching closely.
The top-order, on the other hand, should take the pressure off him. Dave Warner was discovered in this format, Travis Birt was a standout in the Big Bash League and David Hussey’s all-round skills won him the man of the series in the same tournament.
Brett Lee, who finished with a healthy return of eight wickets at an economy of less than 6.5 and Clint McKay’s 11 scalps in the BBL should earn them the right to lead the bowling attack.
Mitchell Marsh and Daniel Christian will do the all-rounders’ duty for the side which should leave the management to decide on playing either an extra pace bowler (James Faulkner) or a spinner.
India will play the same set of openers as they did in the Tests, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, but the rest of the personnel and order will change dramatically.
One of Virat Kohli or Suresh Raina could bat three, with Rohit Sharma expected to get his first chance on the tour down the order.
Captain Dhoni aside – who will be a floater in the batting order – the Indians could play both their all-rounders. Ravindra Jadeja is almost certain to get a game in while it remains to be seen whether Irfan Pathan will play immediately on comeback.
Praveen Kumar and Umesh Yadav will lead the pace attack and if Pathan plays, the side may want to go in with R Ashwin as their fourth bowler.
The two teams have played each other four times and the record is an even 2-2. Both teams have won the one game they played at home and one other at a neutral venue.
On paper then, nothing to choose from between the two sides. Except that the feeling is that India will need to bat well to handle the searing pace on a quickish track.
We will bring you the coverage throughout first T20I from Sydney and hope to receive your opinions as the action unfolds.
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