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After a substandard ODI series, Team India made a strong come back in the T20I leg with two comprehensive victories. Last Sunday, Hardik Pandya and T Natarajan played vital roles to take India home at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). The ‘Men in Blue’ registered their ninth T20I win on the trot.
While the 3-match series have been sealed, India will look for a clean sweep against the Aussies when they meet the hosts in the third T20I, scheduled to take place at the SCG on Tuesday (December 8).
The last time India whitewashed Australia in the shortest format was on their 2015-16 tour when the likes of Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni were still active in international cricket.
Pitch report
The pitch at SCG provided much assistance to batsmen in the second T20I, and the same can be expected in the third fixture. Seamers will also have their role as was seen in the second game. Fans can expect another high scoring match at this venue.
Head to head record
Matches played: 23 | India won: 13 | Australia won: 8 | Abandoned: 1 | No result: 1
Predicted XI
Australia
Australia will play for their pride and would look to finish the T20I series on a high. Injury concerns have hit the hosts, and the Test series is also near, so they don’t have too many options to explore. The only change one might see is of Alex Carey replacing D Arcy Short as an opener.
AUS XI: Matthew Wade (c & wk), D’Arcy Short/Alex Carey, Steve Smith, Moises Henriques, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Daniel Sams, Andrew Tye, Mitchell Swepson, Adam Zampa.
India
On Monday, Jasprit Bumrah and Mayank Agarwal were spotted at the Drummoyne Oval for a net session, where India A is playing the practice match against Australia A. So, it’s quite clear that both of them won’t be playing in the third T20I. Also, the visitors wouldn’t want to make any changes in their winning combination.
IND XI: Virat Kohli (c), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul (wk), Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Shardul Thakur, T Natarajan, Deepak Chahar.
