Sydney, Dec 5: India have won each of their last nine completed T20Is- including two Super Overs and after winning the last game against Australia, they are looking forward to extending their winning streak with an aim to seal the series.
A spirited all-round performance from India saw them register a comprehensive 11-run win over Australia in the first T20I at the Manuka Oval on Friday. The 1-0 lead in the three-match series was a combined effort of Ravindra Jadeja's classy cameo, T Natarajan's lethal yorkers, and Yuzvendra Chahal's magical spin.
After KL Rahul and Jadeja guided the team to 161/7, Chahal, who came on as a concussion substitute for an injured all-rounder, and T Natarajan, who made his T20I debut, scalped three wickets each to help India seal a win.
It's been over 19 months since India lost a T20I series and they now look the most potent side in the shortest format of the game having won the last of their eight T20I matches.
On the other, Australia, the current number two-ranked side in the ICC T20I Team Rankings, will look to find ways to counter the potent Indian batting order in a bid to level the series.
The team from Down Under will also look to repair the bowling department which actually had leaked runs in the final overs according to skipper Aaron Finch.
"We probably leaked too many runs at the death. Then while chasing, we didn't hit too many boundaries in the 6-over period," Finch had said after the first T20I in Canberra.
The Australian players will also be waiting for an update on skipper Finch's injury. The skipper is in brilliant form and has been leading the Australian team from the front. If he is ruled out of the T20I series it is unclear who will take over the captaincy for the remaining two fixtures.
Meanwhile, Jadeja, who was hit on the helmet in the final over, has been ruled out of the remaining series and pacer Shardul Thakur is added to the national squad. Looking at the red hot form Jadeja was, his exclusion from the squad may dent India's hopes but Chahal's inclusion in the second innings of the first T20I had proven to be a blessing in disguise and the Men in Blue will look to rope him for the second game as well.
The two teams will now lock horns in the second T20I on Sunday.
Australia T20I Squad: Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Daniel Sams, Kane Richardson, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, D'Arcy Short, Adam Zampa.
India's updated T20I squad: Virat Kohli (Captain), KL Rahul (VC & WK), Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Sanju Samson (WK), Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Navdeep Saini, Deepak Chahar, T Natarajan, Shardul Thakur.
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