Australia vs India, T20Is: 3 Indian players under the scanner 

A lot of talent is being observed at the highest level in India across all the formats. This is surely a win-win situation as a team, but it leaves the management and the selectors with a problem of plenty. What can be ideally done in this scenario?

India have finally reached Australia, a tour that was being looked forward to. However, there are external hurdles in the form of the opposition, and the internal ones as well, in the form of players’ form and the expectations from them. The team looks in good shape overall but there are still a few players who need to do much more to cement their place in this version of the game.

The team is running a busy schedule till the World Cup and it is extremely important that the right people are picked in any format they play. It is good to see the likes of Khaleel Ahmed and Krunal Pandya being considered for full-fledged series. Also, Washington Sundar has been selected in the T20 squad. With new faces getting into the system quickly, it leaves a lot to be done for the existing players who have not been able to support their case with some strong performances.

India are scheduled to play 3 T20Is, 4 Tests, and 3 ODIs Down Under. They will also play a three-day practice match against Cricket Australia prior to the start of the Test series.

Let us have a look at three players for whom this could be a significantly-deciding series:

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#3 Manish Pandey

A part of Indian audience loves Manish Pandey. Some find him good, some love him. However, due to a number of reasons, he has not been able to stamp his authority as he should have. He has often been in and out of the side with limited opportunities in the limited-overs fold.

Pandey's appearances in the T20Is have been on and off, since the start of the year. In the recently concluded three-match series against West Indies, he scored 23 runs without getting a chance to bat in the second match.

In the two T20Is against Ireland in June earlier this year, he had a total of 21 runs against his name, though he remained unbeaten on both occasions. Post that, he found himself benched in the three-match series against England. He is one of the fittest Indian players and is a tremendous field inside the circle as well as in the outfield.

If his performance in the mega-tournament IPL is to be taken into account, it doesn't throw up good numbers either. He was picked up by the Sunrisers Hyderabad at a price of Rs 11 crore, making him the joint highest Indian buy alongside KL Rahul.

However, with the team recently declared for the first T20I against Australia at Brisbane, Pandey doesn't find himself featured in the squad. In spite of him getting selected for the tours often but the inability to make an impact in accordance with his potential doesn't augur well for him.

#2 Umesh Yadav

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Earlier this year, Umesh Yadav returned to the T20I fold after a gap of almost 6 years, something difficult to understand considering the type of bowler Yadav is. He played his first match in the shortest format against Sri Lanka in August 2012 and returned to play his next against Ireland in June this year, on the tour to England and Ireland.

He later played all the three matches against England in July and a solitary home match against the visiting West Indies recently. In hindsight, his stint with the IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore has helped him earn the trust of his captain Virat Kohli, who happened to lead him at the franchise too.

He did a fantastic job by taking quick wickets at the start of the innings. Better options in the fast bowling department did keep him out for quite long but he has always been positive about his comeback in his interviews and the Australia series is the best chance for him.

Yadav has always bent his back and bowled with great intensity, irrespective of his form. The selectors have announced the 12-member team to take on Australia in the first T20I at Brisbane and Yadav has missed out.

He would surely have his eyes for the T20 World Cup in 2020 and therefore aim to be a regular member in the side in this format of the game. How he fights back is yet to be seen.

#1 Dinesh Karthik

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Dinesh Karthik rose to instant fame after a fabulous unbeaten 8-ball 29 in the Nidahas Trophy final against Bangladesh that India won off the last ball. He had single-handedly shattered Bangladeshi hopes and became a household discussion.

The IPL was just a couple of weeks away and he was named the captain of the famous and successful franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders. There, he acquired the role of a finisher and led his side to the playoffs. These efforts of his have surely kept him in the T20 contention.

Post his final heroics, Karthik hasn't been able to let his bat do the talking. In the recently concluded three-match T20I series against the West Indies, he scored an unbeaten 31 in the first outing, not getting a chance to bat once and staying unbeaten on 0 once.

However, with the rapid rise of Pant at the highest level, Karthik's stocks have taken a hit and has become the second choice wicket-keeper of the side. Incidentally, he is the only one of the two surviving members at present from India's debut T20 back in 2007, MS Dhoni being the other.

The squad for the first T20I against Australia has been declared and he makes it to the side, but not as a wicket-keeper. This clearly indicates the long-term investment and planning that the team management is putting to effect.