Ind v Aus 2020: Will Mitchell Starc play in the T20I series?
India and Australia are all set to begin a long series starting with the first of the three ODIs on November 27. This will be followed by three T20Is, with the first one to be played at Canberra on December 4. Australia will have a slight edge as prolific left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc will feature in the ODIs as well as the T20Is.
According to former Aussie pacer and cricket legend Glenn McGrath, Australia are slightly ahead of India because of Mitchell Starc's X-factor.
“Pat Cummins is the No.1 bowler in the world. He runs in all day, always gives 100 per cent. He gets slightly different angles because of the way he runs in. Then you have left-arm Mitchell Starc. When he gets it right, he can pick four-five wickets at a go. He has got that X-factor," McGrath said.
"If both teams are bowling at the top of their game, I would probably put Australia slightly ahead only because of the left-hander, which makes a big impact," McGrath was quoted as saying in a select media interaction a few days back.
Mitchell Starc had skipped IPL 2020
Mitchell Starc had opted out of IPL 2020 to focus on the T20 World Cup in Australia, which has since been postponed in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic. The left-arm seamer has turned out for Royal Challengers Bangalore for two years in the IPL.
30-year-old Starc has played 57 Tests, 94 ODIs, and 34 T20Is for Australia, and has claimed 244, 183, and 45 wickets respectively.
Meanwhile, Cricket Australia (CA) on Friday confirmed that all three T20Is and two ODIs between India and Australia have been sold out after tickets went on sale on Friday morning.
"The second and third ODIs at the SCG and Manuka Oval respectively have been exhausted while the Manuka Oval T20I and two SCG T20Is are sold out," a CA release informed.
"Limited tickets to the first ODI on November 27 at the SCG remain, with approximately 1,900 public seats left. Both the SCG and Manuka Oval will be at 50 per cent capacity for series, with fans voting with their feet after ticket prices were frozen from the last time India came to Australia in 2018/19," the release further stated.
The limited-overs contests will be followed by four Tests, the first of which will be a Day/Night encounter at Adelaide starting December 17.