India and Australia are unlikely to spend much time (not that they have too much of it anyway) deconstructing their 16-over shoot-out at Nagpur, especially when a curtailed game allowed both Rohit Sharma and Aaron Finch to frontload their lineups and play a bowler short. They’ll move quickly on to Hyderabad in the hope of a more representative decider at the end of this very short scuffle, looking to pick holes in the opposition while hoping to plug some of their own ahead of sterner tests ahead.
The deficiencies for both clearly lie in the bowling. While Australia might have the luxury of calling upon Mitchell Starc when they get back home, India find themselves scrambling for balance and form in that department. It’s a strange place for Rohit and Rahul Dravid to find themselves given much of their pre-World Cup build up has been about attuning the wider cricketing world about their new batting philosophy.
The return of Jasprit Bumrah after a couple of months out was a blessing but India will need the other acts viz. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal and even Harshal Patel to step up if they are to make a fist for trophies they’ll contest for, tomorrow as well as a month from now. Harshal, in particular, hasn’t had the kindest return to competitive action from an injury of his own, conceding 49 in Mohali and then 32 from just two overs in Nagpur. Thankfully for India, Axar Patel has brought respite amid all the head scratching.
When:Â India vs Australia, 3rd T20I, September 25, 19:00 IST; 13:30 GMT
Where:Â Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad
Team News:
India:
Injuries and availability: Mohammed Shami, originally picked for this series, continues to miss out after testing positive for Covid-19. Deepak Chahar, also named in the travelling reserves for the World Cup, is available for selection.
Tactics and Matchups: Dinesh Karthik’s two-ball finishing act and the hyper-specialised nature of his role means India will have to make peace with the fact that they could be playing this World Cup with an all-right top-six. This will have matchup challenges as Adam Zampa proved over just two overs in Nagpur, accounting for KL Rahul, Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav. India rested Bhuvneshwar Kumar for an extra batter but the seamer should slot back in to allow Rohit to play six bowlers.
Probable XI:Â Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Axar Patel, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal
Australia
Injuries and Availability:Â Nathan Ellis missed the Nagpur game with an unspecified injury. Given the short turnaround for this match, it is likely he’ll miss a second game. Sean Abbott could get another game with Josh Inglis likely to come back in for Daniel Sams.
Tactics & Matchups:Â Despite the reverse, Finch was happy at getting a glimpse of what a shortened encounter could mean in the format. Australia chose an uber aggressive route by promoting both Tim David and Glenn Maxwell and while the move failed in the face of Axar Patel, it revealed a possibility of Australia fielding a team of hitters. Such an approach though could render Steven Smith as a misfit.
Probable XI:Aaron Finch (c), Cameron Green, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Tim David, Matthew Wade (wk), Josh Inglis/Daniel Sams, Sean Abbott, Pat Cummins, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
