Published: Jan 26, 2016, 08:24 AM (IST)
Edited: Jan 26, 2016, 10:16 AM (IST)
India and Australia will take on each other in the first Twenty20 International (T20I) at Adelaide in what promises to be a thrilling three-match series. India have been outplayed in the preceding One-Day International (ODI) series, having conceded a dominating 4-1 victory to hosts Australia. India will hope that the change in format brings about a change in fortunes as well. However, success will rarely be achieved without the right balance in the playing XI, and that is one key area that India will want to get right. Rishad D’Souza takes a speculative look at the team India are likely to play in order to achieve that balance. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: India vs Australia, 2015-16, 1st T20I at Adelaide
Top Order: India may have been beaten in four of the five games in the ODI series, but not once was the top order an outright failure. On most occasions they were absolutely outstanding, offering critics and fans little scope for complaint. Opener Rohit Sharma was in the form of his life, scoring an astounding 441 runs in the five innings. Shikhar Dhawan looked a little bit out of sorts early in the series but held his own later. Virat Kohli at No. 3 was just as phenomenal and some may say that he was actually more consistent than Rohit with his 380-odd runs spread out across the course of five games more evenly. There is no reason to experiment with this area of the team. It is almost a guarantee that they will continue to score copious amount of runs on a true Adelaide Oval batting wicket. READ: Virat Kohli and the art of the chase
Middle Order: The problem with the middle order is that they never really got too many pressure situations to navigate owing to the longevity of the top three. This affected the middle order as they were mostly reduced to slog and add as many quick runs as possible. They did not do too good a job of that and the man who made the difference in the final ODI when it mattered most — Manish Pandey — is not even in the squad. Ajinkya Rahane had a decent ODI series, but in all likelihood will have to miss out with an injury. This could pave the way for India’s discarded hero Yuvraj Singh to make a comeback. READ: India must look to the past in order to secure their future
MS Dhoni had a poor series but will retain his place on account of his captaincy and the looming possibility that he will get back into form very soon. With Yuvraj and Dhoni at Nos 4 and 5, India have a lot of experience which could mean that they can afford a bit of inexperience to follow. Hardik Pandya has been creating ripples in the domestic T20 circuit back in India, and the management will be itching to test him out ahead of ICC World T20 2016. He is an explosive batsman with a wide variety of strokes under his belt, and is also a more than handy medium-pacer. Ravindra Jadeja bowled decently even without the surfaces offering much assistance and he is likely to get a game as well, especially given his ability for a good lower order knock. READ: VVS Laxman: A bright victory for India in the last ODI should ensure momentum in T20Is against Australia
Lower Order/Bowling: India’s lower order and bowling was the primary reason India were let down in the ODI series. India will look to ring in a few changes here. Rishi Dhawan showed the penchant to bowl limiting spells in the ODIs and dot balls will be that much more crucial in T20Is. However, Dhoni will want to bring back his star bowler Ravichandran Ashwin as well, so Rishi might have to sit out. Ishant Sharma, who was arguably India’s best bowler in the ODIs, is absent from the squad for the shortest format. Umesh Yadav was expensive but is still likely to find a spot because of the pace he is capable of generating. READ: Ashish Nehra will lend India’s bowling attack some teeth in T20Is against Australia
For the left-arm variety India may consider bringing in veteran Ashish Nehra, who was excellent for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the previous IPL seasons. Jasprit Bumrah made great use of angles and accuracy to land pinpoint yorkers and subtle movement in the fifth ODI at Sydney to concede just 40 runs off his 10 overs with two wickets to go along. Both teams scored over 330 runs that game, which puts his performance in perspective. India would want him to continue to churn out performances of a similar nature. He too will likely find a spot in the XI. READ: In Jasprit Bumrah India may have found a death bowler of some class
India likely XI for 1st T20I at Adelaide (in batting order): Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni (c&wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Ashish Nehra.
(Rishad D’Souza, a reporter with CricketCountry, gave up hopes of playing Test cricket after a poor gully-cricket career. He now reports on the sport. You can follow @RDcric on Twitter)
