Big picture
India has a golden opportunity to claim a 3-0 series sweep in Australia without really hampering their preparation for the next test series.
Neither Jasprit Bumrah nor Mohammed Shami were required in the series-clinching victory Sunday night with the India attack doing the job to back Australia after conceding a fast start. T Natarajan was once again outstanding on the ball, while Shardul Thakur also played a role in controlling Australia through the media following the attack by Matthew Wade.
They both have a chance to blend into India’s T20 setup, while Tuesday could provide an opportunity for India to experiment with their series-winning hitting lineup thanks to the heroic acts of Hardik Pandya.
Australia have had their draft hand forced throughout the series due to injury and have no reason to risk any test players. Australia will be very happy with the outcome of Adam Zampa and Mitchell Swepson on Sunday night, but the pace has been tested with Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Kane Richardson absent.
Sean Abbott, Daniel Sams and Andrew Tye have all shown glimpses of how to handle the level, but they have also been exposed at times. Everyone can only benefit from more opportunities, albeit without a series at stake.
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In the spotlight
Short D’ArcyThe place in Australia’s broader T20 plans for next year’s World Cup could well be under review after his two outings in this series. In fairness to Short, he has been on the sidelines for some time and was not initially selected on the team. It only came into consideration when David Warner was injured, but despite remaining a dominant force in the BBL, he has failed to translate that form into international cricket. In his last 11 T20 internationals over a two-year span, he has scored just 190 runs to 17.27, without half a century, with an alarming hit rate of just 95.95. Nor has he thrown a ball in this series.
T Natarajan he could make a case for being a series player on Tuesday if he continues his impressive form. Hardik Pandya thought he should have been Man of the Match in the second T20I at SCG, churning out impressive 2-for-20 figures on a surface where most fast players hid. His left arm variety, exceptional skills and ability to execute under pressure could make him a vital part of India’s T20 attack heading into the World Cup.
Team news
Australia coach Justin Langer said captain Aaron Finch had a chance to return for Tuesday’s game despite missing Sunday’s loss due to a minor glute strain. If Finch comes back, Short would be the obvious man to slide down the order or make way entirely. Steven Smith could also be rested, opening the door for Marcus Stoinis to rise to No. 3 and perhaps giving Alex Carey another chance after he was eliminated by Wade in England. The attack could well remain unchanged without risking Hazlewood, who missed Sunday’s game with back pain.
Australia (possible) 1 Aaron Finch / D’Arcy Short, 2 Matthew Wade, 3 Steven Smith, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Moises Henriques, 6 Marcus Stoinis, 7 Sean Abbott, 8 Daniel Sams, 9 Mitchell Swepson, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 AJ Tye
India has no reason to make a change unless someone needs to rest before the test series. India doesn’t need to play with Shami or Bumrah and both of them could take a long break to prepare for their test workloads.
India (likely) 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 KL Rahul, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Sanju Samson, 5 Shreyas Iyer, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Shardul Thakur, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 T Natarajan, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal
Plot and conditions
The SCG has produced races, races and more races in this series and it is unlikely that much will change on Tuesday. Conditions will be very mild and possibly cool on Tuesday with a shift to the south bringing a strong wind that can affect bowling and batting tactics at certain stages.
Statistics and trivia
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Australia has been shut out twice in the three-game T20I series: once by India and once by Pakistan
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The second Q20 was the highest rated cricket match on Australian subscription television, breaking the record set last weekend with the second ODI.
Quotes
“We probably haven’t finished with the ball as well as we wanted in the last two games, but we’re playing good T20 cricket. We have good players, unfortunately, we didn’t have guys like Starc and Hazlewood last night that hurts either team, but on the other hand It is very positive that the boys are gaining international experience. “
Matthew wade
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