India vs Australia 1st T20 Prediction

IND Team News

Captain Virat Kohli and opening bowler Jasprit Bumrah are both back in the Indian squad after being rested, but Bhuvneshwar Kumar will miss the start of the series as he is handed a break. KL Rahul is back in international contention after his recent ban for comments he made on TV, while Mayank Markande is in the squad as back-up spinner – Kuldeep Yadav is being rested. Vijay Shankar looks set to continue after impressing since coming into the team earlier this year. Hardik Pandya, meanwhile, has been ruled out of both the T20I and the ODI series due to back stiffness. While the hosts have not announced any replacement for the allrounder in their T20I squad, he will be replaced by Ravindra Jadeja for the ODIs.

IND Key Players

Captain Virat Kohli is back in the squad, having top-scored when these teams last met in Australia to tie the series. His unbeaten 61 was his 19th T20 international half-century from 60 innings – he averages 49.25 in T20 internationals with a strike rate of 136.11.

Rohit Sharma scored a half-century in the recent series with New Zealand, meanwhile – the only Indian batsman to do so – and has 340 runs in his last ten T20i innings. Fellow opener Shikhar Dhawan has scored 324 runs in his last ten T20i innings and both men were also in good form in their recent ODI matches.

With the ball, Krunal Pandya took 4-36 in their most recent game against Australia – moving to ten from his last nine matches in the format in total. That includes four from three matches against New Zealand too.

Jasprit Bumrah’s return could also be key – he has taken 48 wickets in 40 T20 internationals with an impressive economy rate of 6.77 runs per over. 

IND Team Form

Prior to the drawn series in Australia, India had won their last seven T20 series, but they have now have just two wins in their last five completed matches.

Against Australia, they fell five runs short of a rain-revised 17-over target in the first match of the series before a no result in the second match. In the third game, Krunal Pandya’s four-wicket haul and 61* from 41 balls for Virat Kohli ensured the series was tied.

Next up, India – who whitewashed West Indies in a three-game series the last time they were on home soil – travelled to New Zealand but their unbeaten series run came to an end. New Zealand posted 219/6 and bowled India out for 139 to win the first game, but India hit back to level the series when Krunal Pandya took 3-28 and Rohit Sharma (50 from 29 balls) and Rishabh Pant (40 from 28 balls) helped them chase a target of 159 in a seven-wicket win.In their most recent T20i, the series decider, India were set 213 to win and Vijay Shankar (43 from 28 balls) top-scored in the reply. Late hitting from Dinesh Karthik (33*) and Krunal Pandya (26*), who shared a 63-run partnership from 28 balls, was not quite enough, however, as India suffered a four-run defeat.