T20 World Cup: 3 things to expect in today's India vs Australia warm-up match
With preparations for the T20 World Cup going on in full swing, Team India got off to a seamless start in their first warm-up game against England on Monday, winning the contest comfortably by seven wickets.
While the Men in Blue are set to take on long-time rivals Pakistan in their opening T20 World Cup game on Sunday, kohli" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Virat Kohli and co. will face Australia in their second warm-up match today.
On that note, let's dive into the three things to watch out for in today's warm-up match between India and Australia.
#1 Rohit Sharma likely to feature against Australia
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Indian skipper Virat Kohli has already pointed out that the Men in Blue's top three are already settled - Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Kohli himself at no.3. But kishan" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Ishan Kishan played a superb knock (46-ball 70 retired-hurt not out) in the warm-up clash against England.
Rohit didn't feature in the game, but he is likely to make a comeback in today's warm-up fixture. The explosive right-hander has a good record against the Aussies and we expect him to play a blinder today, despite it being a warm-up game.
#2 Glenn Maxwell's inclusion will make Australia stronger
Australia squad for T20 World Cup won their first warm-up clash against New Zealand in what was a last-over thriller. The Aussies chased down 159 with one delivery to spare, with their middle and lower-middle order contributing significantly. Australia emerged victorious by three wickets to start their T20 World Cup preparations on a high note.
Glenn Maxwell, however, was rested against New Zealand, despite the all-rounder being in fine form. The 33-year-old has 2,018 IPL runs to his name, with a whopping 513 of those coming in the recently concluded season in Royal Challengers Bangalore's colors.
Maxwell is likely to feature against India today, thereby considerably strengthening Australia's middle order.
#3 India will be looking to try out bowling options
With Hardik Pandya not bowling, India currently lack a sixth bowling option. While Jasprit Bumrah fared well against England, Mohammed Shami and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar went for a lot of runs. However, in today's fixture, Kohli is likely to try out Shardul Thakur, Ravindra Jadeja and mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy ahead of Team India's T20 World Cup campaign.
India will leave no stone unturned in helping Kohli win an ICC trophy as skipper. With this being the last warm-up game for both teams, an exciting contest beckons today.
India's probable playing XI:
KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (Captain), Rishabh Pant (WK), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Shardul Thakur, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravindra Jadeja.
Australia's probable playing XI:
Aaron Finch (Captain), David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade (WK), Josh Inglis, Pat Cummins, Kane Richardson, Adam Zampa.
India's T20 World Cup squad
Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma, Lokesh Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Rahul Chahar, Ravichandran Ashwin, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammad Shami, Shardul Thakur.
Australia's T20 World Cup squad
Aaron Finch (c), David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, Josh Inglis, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Kane Richardson, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa, Mitchell Swepson.