Weather and first six overs key as Australia look to level series with India

The five-match T20I series between India and Australia is supposed to be a low-key affair given the ill-timing of the series. However, the first T20I in Visakhapatnam had everything one would want from a good T20 contest - a full house at the venue, a blistering hundred, scores of 200 on both sides and a last-ball finish. 

For India, Suryakumar Yadav, the skipper for the series, was seen back in his elements in his favorite format. Steve Smith, opening the innings, scored a half-century, keeping his name in the hat for what seems to be the least-suited format for him. Bowlers from both sides went for plenty of runs as India chased down 209 in the last over. It was just the fuel required for a series which is the starting point of preparation for a World Cup still six to seven months away. With India taking a 1-0 lead, the action now moves to Thiruvananthapuram. 

Things to watch out for

Arshdeep and Krishna’s form critical to India’s white-ball plans

Arshdeep Singh and Prasidh Krishna went for 91 runs in eight overs between them for only one wicket. It was Mukesh Kumar’s bowling figures of 0/29 in four overs that kept Australia to 208 after a 130-run stand between Smith and Josh Inglis. 

Arshdeep has been one of India’s first-choice seamers in the shortest format. The left-arm pacer has an economy of 8.8 runs per over this year in T20s, almost a run greater than 7.9 in 2022. He will be one of India’s major takeaways from the series as preparations for the T20 World Cup have begun with these five T20s. 

Krishna is the next in the pecking order after India’s current pace attack in white-ball cricket. He was a part of the recently concluded World Cup as a replacement player but couldn’t break into the XI. Again, from the T20 World Cup lens, the right-arm seamer becomes an important player for India in this series. 

Sangha vs left-handers

Tanveer Sangha had an average outing in the first T20I in Vizag. He picked up two wickets but also went for 47 runs in his four overs. Ishan Kishan targetted him, churning out 31 runs off the 11 deliveries he faced against Sangha. The leg-spinner avenged the hammering later but Kishan did his job with a 39-ball 58. 

Overall, Sangha has an economy of 9.3 against left-handers in his T20 career as compared to 7 against right-handers. The current Indian team is loaded with left-handers, from Kishan and Jaiswal at the top to Rinku Singh and Tilak Varma in the middle order. 

Thus, Sangha will be put to the test again. Amidst Australia’s second-string attack, he is the one who will garner the most eyeballs throughout the series as an understudy to Adam Zampa and also a potential spin bowling partner to him in next year’s T20 World Cup in the Caribbean.

Ground details and conditions

The Greenfield International Stadium in Trivandrum has hosted only three T20Is, out of which one was a rain-curtailed eight-over contest between India and New Zealand. In all T20s since 2019, including the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the sides batting first have won only six out of 10 games.

Among all venues in India, the Greenfield has the second-lowest run rate while batting first among venues with 10 matches or more (6.7). 

The first six overs are the toughest to bat here. In the first innings, the powerplay run rate is 6 and only 4.8 in the second innings. In the last T20I played here, in September 2022, South Africa collapsed to 9/5 in the first three overs, batting first. 

It is only the middle overs (7 to 15) where the chasing side takes an advantage (a run rate of 8.8 in the second innings as compared to 6.7 in the first). Thus, expect the side that wins the toss to bowl first. There is also a forecast of rain during the match time, another factor encouraging side to opt to field. 

Tactical Insights

> Left-arm orthodox spin can tie up Josh Inglis, who scored a blistering 110 in the first T20I. In T20s since 2022, Inglis averages 19.3 against the left-arm orthodox spinners, his lowest against any bowling type. In Vizag, Inglis faced only nine deliveries from Axar Patel, scoring at run-a-ball. 

> Matthew Short’s part-time off-break can come in handy against Ishan Kishan. It is the only bowling type against which Kishan has a strike rate of under 100 since 2022 - 84.1. He also averages only 21.7 against this bowling type. 

Probable XIs

India went in with only five bowlers in Vizag and may want to include all-rounders like Shivam Dube or Washington Sundar to create a sixth bowling option. On a similar note, having conceded a target of 209, Australia may look for a bowling change, ie, bring in Kane Richardson for either Nathan Ellis or Sean Abbott. 

India: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav ( c ), Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar, Prasidh Krishna

Australia: Matt Short, Steve Smith, Josh Inglis, Aaron Hardie, Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, Matthew Wade (c/wk), Sean Abbott, Nathan Ellis, Jason Behrendorff, Tanveer Sangha