Outplayed in the ODIs, a faltering India will look to get the balance right as they eye redemption in a three-match T20 series against Australia starting here today.
The Indian team was comprehensively beaten in the ODIs, losing the series 1-4 and the T20Is would be an opportunity for the side to pick some positivity from the so far disappointing tour.
Both teams will also begin their run-in for the ICC tournament, particularly the Men in Blue who only have T20Is lined up before the big tournament begins.
The Indian team doesn’t really play too many T20I matches. Since the addition of the format to the international schedule in 2006, they have only played 57 games, with 28 of them across five World T20 events in 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2014.
As such, since December 2006, when the Men in Blue first played a T20I against South Africa, they have only featured in 29 bilateral matches. And their record outside the World T20 isn’t particularly impressive, with 15 losses and 14 wins.
These records won’t really play heavily on the Indian team management as they prepare for this T20I series, but the conditions here definitely will.
The just-concluded Big Bash league has been a high scoring encounter, much like the ODI series in the first leg of this trip, and the pitches are expected to be flat and have ample bounce for the batsmen to make merry.
For India, it will be about getting their team balance right, in particular their strength, batting. Ajinkya Rahane has been ruled out of this first T20I, as he hasn’t sufficiently recovered from the split-webbing injury suffered in Canberra. Even in his absence though, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni will be keen to get the batting line-up optimised from the word go.
Sydney’s centurion Manish Pandey isn’t part of the T20I squad here, and as such Yuvraj, Suresh Raina and Dhoni are expected to form up nos. 4, 5 and 6, perhaps alternating as per the match situation.
The Indian skipper had hinted as much in the post-match press conference at the SCG, and the return of the two middle order batsmen is more than a certainty. Even so, picking the optimal bowling combination will be a challenge.
There are five slots available to Dhoni and he has to pick from R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Ashish Nehra, Umesh Yadav, Rishi Dhawan, Gurkeerat Mann, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya.
Dhoni was mighty impressed with Bumrah’s debut, in particular his death bowling in Sydney, and will look to give him another go, given that Umesh Yadav has been bleeding runs at every possible opportunity.
Rishi Dhawan was held back as Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s replacement and it speaks volumes about how the team management looks at his bowling performances in the ODI series.
Nehra had a fair go in the net sessions on Monday morning and if he is the other certainty among the returning senior players, then this combination of medium pace leaves two spots open for the spinners.
Jadeja’s fielding is his major strength, even more than his batting and bowling in Australian conditions, and as such he will be assured of playing once again.
Aaron Finch takes over the captaincy reins from Steve Smith for the T20 format, and he will be hard-pressed to make some tough choices.
Shane Watson also returns to the fold, and could toss up with Shaun Marsh for George Bailey’s spot.
The home fans will also be keenly watching right-arm pacer Andrew Tye, as Australia have been throwing young fast bowlers into the mix recently.
And it remains to be seen whether Shaun Tait will lead the hosts’ attack, as he returns to the after five years.
‘intend to play fearlessly’
The demoralising ODI series defeat is a thing of past and the Indian team will challenge the Australians in the T20 series with some fearless cricket, batsman Suresh Raina said on Monday after joining the side Down Under.
“We intend to play fearless cricket. The ODI series is the past now and this is a fresh beginning. We have to look to be dominating and be positive in our approach. We will do well. Australia have a young side and they would know that the win in the last game has given us good momentum going into the T20Is. They will come hard at us but we are ready too,” Raina said.