Can India level the T20I series at Sydney?
With the second match getting washed out the best that India can now salvage out of this series is a tied scoreline of 1-1. Although the result of the second match would have disappointed them, what would have been heartening to see would have been the planning and execution that was put in place as they had Australia on the ropes the whole time in the second encounter.
India
Strengths
For India, one of the biggest positives that came out of the second match was how well they had planned against each and every batsman and how well that plan was executed.
The bowling unit looks pretty settled although still a case could be made of playing Chahal over either Pandya or Khaleel depending on the pitch that the SCG dishes out.
The batting unit is more or less pretty stable and the SCG batting paradise might suit them plenty.
Weaknesses
A weakness could be the fact that almost every batsman barring maybe Dinesh Karthik takes some time to settle into an innings and then accelerate while chasing huge totals this could be an impediment for the chase as was the case in the first T20I.
On the bowling front, it's the fifth bowler that is going to cause India the most headache. Will India bench Khaleel or Krunal and bring in Chahal on a pitch that could be conducive to spin? or will they carry on with the same eleven?
Player Under Spotlight
Sydney is expected to be a batting paradise and Indian batsmen have traditionally gone well here. All the focus will be on the top 4 to see if they can propel India to a huge total
Team Combination
The bowling unit looked quite balanced in Melbourne because of the way Kohli was able to manipulate them and use them at different times. On a slow pitch, there could be a case made for Chahal but it looks highly unlikely that the team would be looking to make any changes
Australia
Strengths
It has to be the firepower in batting. Finch, Lynn Maxwell and Stoinis are all capable of changing the game in an over.
Australia would also have a massive boost with Mitchell Starc coming in for the 3rd T20I. With Starc in all likelihood replacing Behrendorff, and Zampa bowling in the middle overs, Australia actually have a much better balance to the side now as compared to when the series started.
Weakness
The lack of application from the batsmen was again so obvious in Melbourne. So was the form of D'Arcy Short. who is really struggling to get bat on the ball.
Player under spotlight
What better player to be in the spotlight than Mitchel Starc, Australia have shown intent by bringing in their best bowler for the most important encounter of the series. All eyes would be on him to see how he performs.
Team Combination
Australia might look to open with Lynn and drop Short to No.3 in the order to provide a bit more of a firepower along with Finch. Behrendorff is likely to be making way for Starc.
Verdict
The real Indian team showed up in Melbourne and they had Australia under the pump for most of the game. It could be more of the same happening in the third encounter as well. We could see India levelling the series 1-1.