Tough battle awaits as India prepares to face Australia in first T20I in Mohali

Mohali: The much-awaited T20 World Cup is scheduled to begin in October next month. All the teams are preparing round the clock to perform better and better. The first T20I of the three-match series versus Australia is set to take place on Tuesday, September 20 at the PCA IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali, followed by matches at Nagpur (September 23) and Hyderabad (September 25).

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After the Asia Cup debacle, the men in blue have been gearing up to lift the World Cup for the second time under the leadership of Rohit Sharma.

Virat Kohli’s return to form in the Asia Cup was a boon for the entire team, as the former captain witnessed an extended dry run in the past couple of years. Kohli showed a glimpse of his old form and scored 276 runs in five innings during the competition, including the highly-anticipated 71st century and two half-centuries as well.

Apart from Kohli, the focus will be on KL Rahul, who has been hot and cold since his return to international cricket after injury. The opening slot keeps an important position in accelerating the run rate.

The series is crucial for Rishabh Pant to score runs against strong opposition like Australia. He has to compete for the wicketkeeping slot with veteran Dinesh Karthik. The Indian middle order looks formidable in the form of Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, and Hardik Pandya.

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The return of pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel will make the home team’s attack more potent against the reigning World Champion. These bowlers would like to scalp a few wickets on their return to the team. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is ready to trouble the visitor’s batters.

The spin department will be led by Yuzvendra Chahal, along with all-rounder Axar Patel, who comes in as Ravindra Jadeja’s replacement.

The series will be full of entertainment. Be careful of those dangerous Australians. A close finish is on the cards. Ready to watch the mouth-watering 1st T20I between India and Australia at 7:30 PM IST on Tuesday (September 20).

India’s Predicted Playing XI

Rohit Sharma (C), KL Rahul (VC), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant/Dinesh Karthik (WK), Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar/Deepak Chahar, Harshal Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah

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