FANTASY
Follow UsIndia have continued their brilliant record in T20Is off late, winning their 10th consecutive game in the format and also registering a series win with an unassailable 2-0 lead.
There is one more game left in the white-ball leg of the tour before the much-awaited Test series commence. The third T20I is now a dead rubber and we can expect the remaining players in both the squads to get a chance as the two sides continue to build a team for the T20 World Cup next year.
Pitch, conditions and team combination
SCG has carried the perception of being a batting paradise for a long time and India’s tour of Australia this season has only strengthened those claims. The track offered little to the bowlers during the ODIs and it was a similar story in the first T20I as well, with the averages run-rate throughout the match closing in on 10 runs per over. In T20s since 2019, the batsmen here have scored runs at a rate of 8.3 and an average of 27.6 which is on the higher side in the country. Hence, it would be ideal to pack your XI with some solid top-order batsmen.
There's not much difference when you look at "pace v spin" when it comes to this venue. Thus, bowlers who bowl in the death, the phase with most wickets in a T20 game, are advisable to frame your bowling attack.
The weather is expected to be sunny tomorrow with minimal chances of rain.
Suggested Team
While you could go for the above team, you also have the option of choosing your own team from cricket.com's Fantasy Research Centre. Based on algorithms we come up with six different teams that could fetch crucial points.
Captain Selection
Hardik Pandya is enjoying his time in Australia. Not bowling anymore, he has proven his mettle to play as a pure batsman. His scores on the tour read 90, 28, 92*, 16 and 42*. Generally, assigning a lower-order batsman to double your points is a risky prospect but such has been Hardik’s brilliance with the bat that there seems to be no better player than him for the job.
He is one of the toughest batsmen to bowl to at the death. The fact that Australia have struggled in the death bowling department poses a great opportunity for Pandya to end his tour on a high.
Our Criclytics player projection predicts, Pandya could score 10-27 runs in this match.
X-Factors
Matthew Wade, with his rejuvenated batting methods, has infused Australia’s T20 batting with intent. Since 2019, he has scored 885 runs at a strike-rate of 156.9, while maintaining a healthy average of 38.5.
He is vastly experienced in terms of batting in Australia, all thanks to his regular appearances in the Big Bash League. He surprised the Indian bowlers with his attacking display, contributing 47 out of the 59 runs scored by Australia in the Powerplay in the second T20I. If he continues to open the innings, he is a worthy candidate to captain your side.
Our Criclytics player projection predicts, Wade could score 13-36 runs in this match.
KL Rahul showed only flashes of brilliance in the ODI series but when it comes to the shortest format of the game, he is one of the best in the business getting a chance at his preferred position. After a strong IPL, where he won the Orange Cap, he scored a fifty in the first T20I and set up the chase in the second game with an impressive 30. He has accrued runs at an average of 51.9 in T20s since 2019 which itself speaks why he should be picked in your side.
Our Criclytics player projection predicts, Rahul could score 19-42 runs in this match.
Adam Zampa has missed out on taking a wicket only once in the eight T20Is he has played this year. He has struck at 17.7 balls per wicket for his 10 scalps this year, an excellent rate for a leg-spinner who has played all his games against top ranked T20I nations. What has worked for him is that he does not bowl loopy legging but relies on rather flatter trajectory, while still inviting the batsmen to go after him. Hence, while Yuzvendra Chahal is yet to crack the code in Sydney, Zampa has found himself amongst the wickets. The trend might continue in the last T20I as well.
Our Criclytics player projection predicts, Zampa could pick 0-1 wickets in this match.
