Australia vs India T20I series: Hosts would be wary of a strong challenge from Virat Kohli & Co

A young Indian team led by Virat Kohli is riding high on confidence courtesy of back-to-back series wins, including the Asia Cup and the recently concluded series against the Windies. They will look to keep their winning momentum going in Australia as well.

There are a few surprise inclusions in the current squad, namely Khaleel Ahmed and Prithvi Shaw getting the nod. But the BCCI is apparently happy to send a team comprising of young and experienced players, which could be a good omen for the future.

India rely on Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma at the top who are in blazing form right now, but would want to build a more solid middle order which looks fragile and inexperienced at the moment. With Hardik Pandya ruled out for the entire series, someone needs to step up and fill the void, and it is not clear who that someone is.

The Indian bowling department, however, looks formidable with the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and the spin twins of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav.

Australia, on the other hand, are still vying for their first series victory after the sandpaper incident back in March this year. A new look side, with notable names like Aaron Finch, Glenn Maxwell, Chris Lynn and Travis Head can decimate any bowling line-up on their day. The bowling department, meanwhile, is filled with skilled seamers, but maybe luck hasn’t been favouring them lately.

During the recently concluded one-off T20 match against South Africa, Australia looked panicky in their run chase as they fell short despite chasing just 70-odd runs in the last 10 overs with more than 5 wickets in hand. Any team in today's era of power hitting could have chased that, but Australia couldn't.

The Men from Oz need their captain Finch and Lynn to fire at the top and lay the foundation for the middle order which is held together by the in-form Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis. And with Andrew Tye and Billy Stanlake leading their pace attack, they certainly have the firepower to challenge India.

It’s always a treat to watch a game where Australia and India go head to head, be it in India or in Australia. This time it’s a young Indian team versus a new-look Australian side, and only time will tell which team reigns supreme.