IND vs AUS 2022: 3 player battles to watch out for as India and Australia lock horns
The stage is set for yet another episode of the fabled India-Australia rivalry. Given that the T20 World Cup is less than a month away, the upcoming three-match T20I series starting Tuesday (September 20) carries further significance.
Both teams have announced their rosters to take part in the showpiece event in Australia and will use this rubber as a good way to prepare for the same. While Australia's last T20I series was a successful one in Sri Lanka, India enter the series on the back of a Super 4 exit at the Asia Cup.
While the context of the T20 World Cup is hard to neglect, the coming week could give an insight as to where the Men In Blue stand against the reigning world T20 champions. A triumph in this T20I rubber could just give the winner a psychological edge over the other to boot.
On that note, let’s take a look at three crucial player battles that could have a big say in how things unfold over the coming week.
#1 Virat Kohli vs Adam Zampa
It's time for yet another round of Virat Kohli versus Adam Zampa, with the leggie having made a happy habit of prizing out the Indian superstar over time. While Kohli has been dismissed by Zampa just twice in T20Is, he has lost his wicket to him on five occasions in ODIs as well to go with it.
The match-up transcends numbers, however. Kohli has just got the 71st ton monkey off his back while Zampa continues to grow in stature. The Australian is undoubtedly one of the finest spinners on the white ball circuit today, while Kohli has had his issues against spin in the middle-overs well-documented.
Given how the former Indian skipper went after Rashid Khan in the Asia Cup contest, it remains to be seen if he will adopt a similar approach against Australia's ace spinner with success.
#2 Yuzvendra Chahal vs Glenn Maxwell
Glenn Maxwell strikes at a rate of 178.37 against Yuzvendra Chahal, but the wily Indian leg-spinner has dismissed him five times in all T20s. It's almost inevitable to not watch out for two of the best in their respective crafts during the middle-overs when they take the park.
If Australia are to post a total above par, it goes without saying that the 'Big Show' must put on one. Chahal's form has fluctuated in recent times and while he has secured a berth in India's T20 World Cup squad, he would want to show that he remains their first-choice spinner in this format.
A salivating prospect awaits when two of the sharpest T20 cricketers go head-to-head!
#3 KL Rahul vs Josh Hazlewood
There has been quite a bit of discourse over KL Rahul's approach in T20 cricket for a while now. The Indian vice-captain himself opened up on the same on the eve of the first T20I against Australia, stating the importance of context in that regard.
He has also had his issues against left-arm swing well-documented over time. To that end, all eyes will remain on how he copes up to the challenge posed by a certain Josh Hazlewood.
Hazlewood's metronomic radar and simplicity have seen his T20 stocks shoot up considerably, making him a potent threat to contend with. Here are two big players who could set the tone up front and getting one upon the other would go a long way in deciding the fate of their respective teams.
Who do you think will have the upper hand in this 3-match series between India and Australia? Let us know in the comments below!