India tour to Australia 2020 [Preview]
India is scheduled to tour Australia to play three ODIs, three T20Is and four-match Test series. Virat Kohli-led unit will kick-start their tour with three-match T20I series starting from 27th November. The visitors have completed their 14-day quarantine period and conducted a practice session at Sydney Cricket Ground.
Earlier, Leg-spinner Varun Chakravarthy was included in the T20I squad against Australia. He was sidelined due to injury as T Natarajan was named as a replacement for the three-match T20I series.
Uncapped Mayank Agarwal has been included in the squad as Rohit Sharma has been ruled out of the tour due to hamstring injury. Left-hander Shikhar Dhawan has made a comeback in the T20I squad after scoring well over 500 runs for Delhi Capitals in the recently concluded Indian Premier League.
On the other hand, Australia have announced their ODI and T20I squads for the upcoming series against India. Aaron Finch will lead the side for the white-ball cricket against India. Uncapped all-rounder Cameron Green has earned a maiden call-up to the ODI and T20i squads for series against India.
In the batting department, the onus will be on the likes of Aaron Finch, David Warner and Steven Smith to do the bulk of the scoring. Captain Aaron Finch was the standout batsman for the side in the T20 format. Since November 2018, Finch has accumulated 513 runs in 18 innings at an average of 32.06 with three half-centuries to his name.
Besides Finch, David Warner has been a consistent performer for the side in the 20-over format. Southpaw has accumulated 473 runs in 11 matches at an average of 94.60 with one century and five half-centuries to his name.
In the bowling department, the onus will be on the likes of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood to make crucial breakthroughs. Spinners Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar have shown excellent form with the ball in hand in the T20 format.
On the other hand, Indian Captain Virat Kohli will be hoping that the side can get off to a positive start. The visitors will take heart from the fact they have lost their last two T20Is in Australia. Virat Kohli and co. will be looking to maintain their proud record in the upcoming T20I series.
In the absence of Rohit Sharma, the onus will be the likes of Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan and Lokesh Rahul to deliver the bulk of the runs.
Since November, Lokesh Rahul has shown excellent form with the bat and topped the batting charts for India. In 20 T20I matches, Rahul has scored 706 runs at an average of 44.12 with seven half-centuries to his name.
Virat Kohli is not far behind as he has scored 692 runs in 18 innings at an average of 57.66 with six half-centuries to his name.
Shikhar Dhawan will open the innings for India in the upcoming three-match T20I series. In the recently concluded Indian Premier League, Dhawan showed excellent form with the bat and accumulated more than 500 runs for Delhi Capitals.
Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey and Hardik Pandya will make up the middle-order for India for the upcoming three-match T20I series.
Ravendra Jadeja and Washington Sundar are all-rounders included in the T20 squad for the series against Australia.
Mayank Agarwal is another option for India in the batting department in case anyone gets unfit during the course of the T20I series.
Navdeep Saini, Jasprit Bumrah, Deepak Chahar, Mohammad Shami and T Natarajan are five prominent pace options for India. Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal will be premier spinner for the side on this tour.
