India vs Australia 2019: 3 things India need to do to win the T20I series

The Indian home series against Australia is nearly upon us, with the first T20I set to take place on the 24th of February at Visakhapatnam. The Indians enter the series high on confidence after emerging from Australia with a spotless record.

A few days ago, the selectors announced the team for the series and there weren’t many surprises. The likes of Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah made their return to the fold whereas Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Kuldeep Yadav were accorded some much needed rest.

Historically, the Indians have enjoyed the wood over their counterparts from the southern hemisphere in the shortest format, and boast of an 11-6 advantage in the head to head. However, beating an Aussie side comprising of Glenn Maxwell, Aaron Finch and Pat Cummins is easier said than done.

Through the course of this article, we take a look at three aspects the hosts would need to master to overcome the Australians.

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#3. Pick early wickets

Bumrah would hold the key again

The Aussies have endured an opening merry-go-round ever since David Warner infamously grazed his reputation in ‘sandpaper gate’. However, for the series in India, the Australians might possess a couple of exciting options to partner Aaron Finch in D’Arcy Short and Marcus Stoinis.

The pair have been in scintillating form, and look primed to carry their momentum into the T20 series. Finch, on the other hand, has been sub-standard recently, but he remains the Aussies’ best T20 batsman.

Hence, it is clear that the visitors’ strength lies in their top order, and India need to pull out all the stops to nip them in a bud.

With Bumrah back in the mix the hosts would hope for the pacer to make early inroads, while Umesh Yadav is also a viable option on the abrasive Indian wickets.

Yet, India’s most potent weapon in the opening overs could be the left-arm spin of Krunal Pandya. None of Australia’s openers are too comfortable starting against spin; all of them struggle to get going when faced with slow bowling early in the innings.

India have plenty of options to attack the Aussies at the start. And while they have some splendid bowlers to handle the middle phases, one just gets the feeling that if India rattle the visitors at the top, victory would be much easier to achieve.

#2. Play Rishabh Pant as a floater

Rishabh Pant would want to recreate his Test magic

The Indians possess a plethora of talent in the middle order. They tried several alternatives on the tour to New Zealand and eventually zeroed in on the batsmen they are likely to take to the World Cup. One of those was Rishabh Pant.

The left-hander has been a breath of fresh air since his introduction to international cricket. His hitting prowess coupled with the ability to manufacture breath-taking shots has so far distinguished him from the rest of the pack.

The Indian team should exploit the different facets he brings to the table by using him as a floater. Blessed with the ability to cart the ball out of the park from the outset, Pant would be a handy option in the middle phases and would nullify the threat of Adam Zampa.

Moreover, the left-hander can be used to increase the scoring rate at any point of time and thus, provide batsmen like MS Dhoni and Kohli the time to settle in.

T20Is are usually decided by swift and out of the box actions. And in Pant, India have the luxury of throwing a spanner in the Aussies’ works.

Though this of action does have its ramifications, all the evidence points to it being successful more often than not.

#1. Take the attack to Australia’s bowlers

Rohit Sharma would be tasked with inflicting the first cut

Australia arrive on Indian shores with an inexperienced bowling attack. Of their fast bowlers, Nathan Coulter-Nile is the most seasoned with 26 T20Is under his belt. However, neither his nor Pat Cummins’ (the No. 1 Test Bowler) T20I record ranks among the world’s best.

Though Kane Richardson and Jhye Richardson have been in better bowling form, T20Is are a different kettle of fish altogether. Thus, the Indians should exploit the greenness of the Aussies’ pace bowling battery.

At the top of the order, Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma need to take the lead and inflict the first cut on the Australians. If the pacers are neutralized, the visitors would be forced to bring Zampa or Maxwell into the attack. And with the hosts equally adept at handling spin, that ploy would play into the Indians’ hands.

For years, India have been a batting powerhouse who have taken the game to the opposition in home conditions. Thus, the Indians wouldn’t be too hassled by the prospect of starting off belligerently.

After all, a good start is half the job done.