India and Australia will play the first T20 international of the three-game series on Friday in Canberra. After a battle in the 50+ format, the focus now shifts to T20, where both teams would look to gain momentum ahead of the crucial test series. Team India lost the ODI series 1-2 after a lackluster performance by bowlers in the first two one-day internationals.
They made some changes for the final ODI in Canberra and the gamble paid off when India won the match by 13 runs. Now it is also likely that the team management will make some changes again for the first T20I.
Former India batsman Aakash Chopra picked his starting 11 for the crucial game. He decided to drop Shreyas Iyer from the team and start with KL Rahul as the starter alongside Shikhar Dhawan.
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“All the hitters that India has, be it Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Sanju Samson, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul or Virat Kohli, they are all in the Top 3 of the IPL. Therefore, India needs to find out who will go from 4th to 6th place, ”Chopra said in a video shared on his YouTube channel.
“I’m getting a bit radical choosing the XI of the game. I want KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan as starters and Virat Kohli at No. 3. “
“I am going with Manish Pandey at number 4. I have not chosen Shreyas Iyer, I have chosen Manish Pandey because I think Iyer will also be part of the test team, but Pandeyji will return without playing a match. That is not right.”
“I could have kept Sanju Samson also at No. 4, but I will have to play Pandeyji before Sanju because in terms of hierarchy, he was selected first and played first and has fewer chances.”
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“At No. 5, I’m playing Hardik with Jaddu at No. 6. So, I have six bowling options. I’m giving Jaddu a bit of batting responsibility. “
“After that, my five players: I’ll play one from Bumrah and Shami, then Deepak Chahar, Natarajan, Chahal and Washington Sundar.”
“Washington Sundar will be my 7th hitter, so that will be my XI player.”
It remains to be seen how India appears in the Manuka Oval. Bumrah could rest for the match as Shami had a break in the last ODI.
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