India vs Australia 2017: 5 player battles to look out for in the T20s

The Australian side were 'scared' during the ODI series, a statement which is not associated with the team very often. Such was the dominance of the Indian team that several players in the Australian ranks did not quite execute their plans perfectly out on the field.

However, the format has now changed and the teams will know that the baggage of the ODI series will not hold any significance once the captains walk out in Ranchi to toss the coin. The Indian team could be surging on a wave of momentum, but such is the fickle nature of the T20 format that no opponents can be taken for granted.

Here in this list, we take a look at five player battles which, in many ways, could determine the outcome of not only the match but also the series.

#5 Andrew Tye vs MS Dhoni

Can he pull out the big hits?

The Western Australian, Andrew Tye, was drafted into the T20 squad in place of Pat Cummins and his inclusion could infuse a fresh sense of vigour to the dilapidated bowling attack.

Tye is your quintessential T20 bowler with a plethora of variations to flummox the batsmen. He played for Gujarat Lions in the IPL and even took a hattrick before injury cut short his stint.

He will be up against a rejuvenated MS Dhoni and the tussle between the duo towards the latter end promises to a spicy affair. Tye has the tricks to keep the batsmen in check and how Dhoni counters him might determine the final score for both teams.

#4 Bhuvneshwar Kumar vs David Warner

Holds the key with the new ball

The two Sunrisers Hyderabad teammates face-off once again in the format which they have mastered over the last two seasons of the IPL.

While Bhuvneshwar Kumar holds the key for India with the new ball, David Warner is a force to reckon with against it.

Bhuvneshwar can swing the ball on most days, but then if Warner decides to put his head down, he can win the match all on his own.

And then there is the old ball, and bowling at the death, a craft which has been mastered by Bhuvneshwar and this is where he gives India the cutting edge in limited-overs fixtures.

#3 Yuzvendra Chahal vs Glenn Maxwell

Due for a big one

Every time Glenn Maxwell moves around on a cricket field, it is news; every time he is benched, it is bigger news.

After having underwhelmed in the first three matches of the ODI series, he was axed from the rest of the series, evoking mixed reactions from all quarters.

However, he will be back in the format he made his name in and would hope to mount a comeback across all the three formats.

But here he will face Yuzvendra Chahal, who had his number during the ODI series, and that the Victorian struggles against leg spin is an open secret. Hence, this tussle is a competition of not only egos but also of temperament, a tussle which could define the course of the match.

#2 Jasprit Bumrah vs Steve Smith

Biggest positive for India

By his own lofty standards, the Australian captain Steve Smith had a middling ODI series, where he got starts in almost all the games, but could not latch on to it to forge a significant score. He would ideally want to reverse this pattern in the T20s, where he might play the role of an anchor sandwiched between the stroke makers.

He will face a tough challenge from the newest star on the horizon with the ball in Jasprit Bumrah, who not only posed problems for the Australians with the new ball, but strangled them during the middle and death overs.

Smith needs to take on Bumrah, and the battle could be decided then and there!

#1 Nathan Coulter-Nile vs Rohit Sharma

In the midst of a purple patch

This tussle in the powerplay could set the tone of the innings, the match, and the series.

Rohit was the leading run scorer in the ODI series and Coulter-Nile posed plenty of problems every time he galloped in to bowl. With sharp pace and decent outswing, Coulter-Nile can peg the Indians back with early breakthroughs, and there is no bigger fish than Rohit.

However, the Indian vice-captain is in the midst of a purple patch and seems to have the answers to almost all the questions hurled at him. A stern test awaits him, but he is confident after the ODI series and hence suitable answers should be fired back at the bowler.