Last Update on: November 22nd, 2023 at 12:18 pm
The IND vs AUS 1st T20I will be played in Visakhapatnam on November 23, Thursday. The first T20I kickstarts a five-match T20I series with Bengaluru hosting the final game on December 3. All the matches will begin at 7 pm IST.
The IND vs AUS T20I series starts just three days after India lost to Australia in the ICC World Cup 2023 final. The series kicks off preparations for next year’s T20 World Cup. Both BCCI and Cricket Australia announced 15-man squads for the five-match series.
The senior players from both teams have been rested from this series with the benchstrength of both teams tested. For Australia, David Waner, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Mitchell Marsh all have been rested.
Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Adam Zampa, Jos Inglis, Marcus Stoinis and Travis Head are part of the T20I squad that played the World Cup for the Aussies.
The BCCI selectors named a young squad with all their players rested as well. Suryakumar Yadav was given the responsibility of captaincy as Sanju Samson and Yuzvendra Chahal were rested. Ruturaj Gaikwad is the vice-captain for the first three matches. Shreyas Iyer returns as the vice-captain for the last two games.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar have all been named in India’s T20I squad. All these players have been given an opportunity to prove their mettle in the series.
There is a forecast of rain in Vizag in the daytime on the matchday. In the evening there are expected clouds along with rain. Thus the match might have a delayed start and even there might be a loss of overs as the weather forecast suggests. In that case, it might not be an ideal start to what is expected to be a close series.
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IND vs AUS Match Preview- 1st T20I, 2023
India
SKY’s captaincy for India will be the most important thing to watch out for. With all the senior players rested, it will be interesting to see how he manages the group of players especially after not having a memorable campaign personally. His knock of 18 off 28 balls was hugely criticized by the Indian cricket fans and is seen as one of the reasons why India got to a below-par score in the end.
The other thing to watch out for will be how the Indian bowling attack performs in this series. Seven bowlers have been selected in this group including four pacers and three spinners. Axar Patel and Washington Sundar make a comeback after missing out on the World Cup.
India having just lost the T20 World Cup, this young group of players have a job on their hands given they will be playing against the team that defeated the senior Indian team in a World Cup final. If India manages to win this series it will be some turnaround to begin with.
India Squad
Suryakumar Yadav (C), Ruturaj Gaikwad (vice-captain), Ishan Kishan, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar
Australia
Australia always manages to find a way out to win finals and they did find a way out this time as well. Despite the senior players being rested there is no shortage of experience in this side with Maxwell, Smith, Zampa, Head, and Stoinis being the core of the side. The team’s success will depend a lot on how these players play. Matthew Wade, the wicketkeeper-batsman will lead the side in the series.
Head and Zampa will be the players to watch out for in the first game. The batter is fresh from scoring a match-winning hundred while the leggie just finished the World Cup as the second-highest wicket-taker. For the rest of the players in the group, the series is an opportunity to show their skillset and be in the reckoning for the T20 World Cup 2024.
Australia Squad
Matthew Wade (C), Aaron Hardie, Jason Behrendorff, Sean Abbott, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Kane Richardson, Adam Zampa.
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