India’s Predicted Playing XI for 1st T20I against Australia

India’s Predicted Playing XI for 1st T20I against Australia:  Sportsrush presents before you India’s playing XI for the first T20I.

Gearing up for their last international task before the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, India would be aiming to make full use of these two T20Is against Australia. Despite a change in format, there can be plenty which the hosts can obtain out of these matches for the World Cup.

Coming on the back of a 1-2 defeat in the T20I series against New Zealand, India would also be looking to be back among the winning ways in the format. Having defeated Australia in Tests and ODIs last month, India would be oozing confidence as far as the opposition is concerned.

With the first of the two T20Is to be played tomorrow at Visakhapatnam, the hosts would be putting their best foot forward for losing right before a world event won’t give them the required confidence.

India’s Predicted Playing XI for 1st T20I against Australia

1) Top-order – With India captain Virat Kohli back in the squad, India will take the field with a formidable top-order comprising of Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

While there is likely to be a desperate urge to given game time to Lokesh Rahul, experimenting in the first match of the series doesn’t seem like happening tomorrow. Dhawan, who didn’t look his usual self in the T20Is against New Zealand, would be wanting to regain his mojo on home soil.

2) Middle-order – The wicket-keeper batsman-duo of Rishabh Pant and Mahendra Singh Dhoni will force the attack on the opposition bowlers in the middle-order. Vijay Shankar, who gave the impression of impressing the team management in New Zealand T20Is, is likely to be picked over Dinesh Karthik. That being said, it will be interesting to see his batting position.

All-rounder Hardik Pandya being ruled out of the series will undoubtedly affect the Indian team’s combination. With Shankar not getting to bowl in any of the T20I against New Zealand, Hardik’s brother Krunal Pandya is most likely to play the all-rounder’s role.

3) Bowlers – In Hardik’s absence, India will need to play four specialist bowlers. There is no hiding to the fact that the same will constitute for a weak bowling attack but there aren’t many options left without Hardik.

Yuzvendra Chahal should easily pin down uncapped Mayank Markande for the wrist-spinner’s role in the Indian playing XI. With only three fast bowlers in the squad, Kohli should play all of them to complete the bowling attack.

Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah rejoining the team after a nearly 50-day break should work in India’s favour. In the fast-bowling department, Bumrah will be joined by Siddarth Kaul and Umesh Yadav.

Kaul has last played a T20I during India’s tour of England last year. While he was named as Bumrah’s replacement for New Zealand series, he didn’t get to play a game. On the other hand, the more experienced Yadav would be looking at these two matches at his only chance to audition before the World Cup.

India’s Predicted Playing XI for 1st T20I against Australia – 1) Rohit Sharma 2) Shikhar Dhawan 3) Virat Kohli (c) 4) Rishabh Pant 5) MS Dhoni (wk) 6) Vijay Shankar 7) Krunal Pandya 8) Umesh Yadav 9) Siddarth Kaul 10) Yuzvendra Chahal 11) Jasprit Bumrah