We just saw the ODI World Cup final being played between these two teams and now there is a T20 series starting immediately. On the face of it, it looks like a tough scheduling for both the sides, particularly Australia. Several of their players have been away from home till the end of an amazing World Cup and they must be mentally and physically drained out. Having said that, both these teams know that there is a T20 World Cup looming. It is to be played mid next year. Therefore, both sides have been smart in how they want to construct their squad.
Starting with India, I am super excited to watch some of the players perform in the series. This is the next generation of Indian superstars, and I will be really surprised if a good number of players from this series are not competing hard for spot in the squad for the T20 World Cup. The top-order is very good with Ruturaj Gaikwad, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Tilak Varma in there. Tilak, especially, is one of the most exciting talents not only because of his ability as a batter but also because he is a big match player. When I watch him play, I love the fact that he gets tough runs and raises his hand when the team is struggling. I love his character and temperament.
Someone like Rinku Singh is wonderful to watch. I was lucky enough to commentate on a couple of his memorable moments in the IPL. He is a player who is ready and itching to play international cricket. I hope he is given a good run in this five-match series and a chance to show the world how good a player he is. Likewise, Jaiswal is extremely talented and someone to watch out for.
It is another great opportunity for Suryakumar Yadav to add more skills to his unquestionable talent. I am hoping that captaincy helps him discover a new aspect to him as a player. Sometimes as captain, when you are thinking about the team, the other players, it empowers you as an individual and hopefully, the same happens in Surya’s case as well. I think he is a wise selection as a captain for this series. Whether he turns out to be a good, smart and tactical captain at this point is almost irrelevant to me. Captaincy at this stage is more about him adding various characteristics and skills to his armoury.
Washington Sundar, Axar Patel as all-rounders have played good amount of this format internationally and there is some experience over here. I am always excited about Avesh Khan. Arshdeep Singh provides variety. I will be hugely surprised if he does not play a major role in the T20 World Cup next year. There are several players who are fighting hard for spots including Prasidh Krishna, Avesh, Mukesh Kumar. Players who are just on the edge and need opportunities to cement a place in the team.
In Australian camp, I am looking forward to seeing how Steve Smith goes about in this format once again. He has been around for a long time and is such an iconic Test and ODI player. He showed what he can do at the top of the order in Big Bash last year. I will be surprised if he is not pushing for a place in the Australian top order. It is tough to get into the top 3 with David Warner, Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh already there. But it does provide Smith a chance to prove himself as a T20 batter. If he goes on to smash a couple of hundreds and plays some impactful innings, he will do himself a huge favour.
From Australian’s point of view, Smith will be of huge interest to me in this series. I am assuming Head is going to be rested for a bit. If that happens, Smith is likely to be playing in the top order. The other player I am really fascinated by is Sean Abbott. He is a very talented cricketer both with bat and ball. This series provides him with the opportunity to push his case against the more established players. I often talk about Nathan Ellis and how good he is. He gives something different in the middle overs and at the death. Tim David, Tanveer Sangha, Matthew Short, Aaron Hardie are all exciting players willing to prove their worth on the international stage.
I think Australia would have plans in mind on how they want to build for the T20 World Cup. But there will be several variables in the mind. They would want to see how Smith is in the top order and can Tim David push his case in the format he is very confident in.
Like I said earlier, many may argue what is the need of a T20 series between two sides who coincidentally just played the final of the World Cup. There will be all the talks of way too much cricket and tough schedule for players among other things. Do we really need that? But the truth is that when you look at the squads closely, many of the players who will be involved in this five-match series are fresh and hungry. They will be raring to go and take these opportunities. I think this is going to be a good series to watch as many fresh names look eager to make a mark.
Not to forget, for away teams playing T20Is in India, there is always a personal interest/goal of impressing as the lure of an IPL deal might not be far away. You shine in Indian conditions against India, and they can grab a huge deal. So, watch out for such performances as well.
