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Australia vs India | 3rd T20I: Match Preview, Predicted XI & Dream11 Fantasy Picks

Abhishek Singh

It’s all but over in the limited-overs tour of the Indian team Down Under and it goes without saying, that it has been a tour full of bittersweet memories. This would be the last time when the likes of Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, and most importantly T. Natarajan and Hardik Pandya, two of India’s finds (in Hardik’s case, finding him as a pure batsman) of the tour, are seen in the national colours before a long break. 

However, the last game, dead rubber by all means, still holds a lot for both teams. 

A test before the 'Tests'

The Test series begins on 17th December in Adelaide and it would be a day/ night affair. For the likes of Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, KL Rahul, and Matthew Wade, it presents itself as an opportunity to test themselves and find the right fit with the form before the big game. Practice games, after all, won’t give the feel of playing in a full house SCG. 

Team India might want to give the likes of Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah, some must required practice before the Test series. On the other hand, Australia would like to go big and get that solitary win to get the momentum into the Pink Ball Test.  

Will the Hardik Pandya story continue!

Pandy, 27, seems to be in the best touch batting wise and he is encashing it by winning critical games for the team. He too believes that he is batting the best. "I felt that throughout the IPL I was batting well. It's just that when I feel it is my time to do it and the team wins, that's the happiest [feeling]," he said in the post-match presentation. 

With the range of shots that he has and the way he has been middling the ball, India will want him to go full blast in the final and so would the audiences and fans who would fill the SCG to enjoy the game. 

Aus vs Ind: Match Details

Match No. - 3rd T20I

Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney

Broadcast: SonyLIV, Sony Ten Network, DD Sports

Date and Timing: 2nd December, 01:40 pm IST, 08:10 GMT

Pitch Report

The pitches at SCG, both in the ODIs and in the last T20I have been pure belters with almost no help for the bowlers (apart from the odd slower one gripping the surface). Added to that is the shortness in the size of the ground in one direction. It has made the wicket a flat deck with only runs to be got from. In such a situation, expecting anything less than 180 from the team batting first would be a criminal offence.

Weather and Toss

The weather in Sydney will remain pleasant for playing cricket and hence teams would be looking to chase once again. The only advantage of chasing on the ground is that team has a set target and can decide how to go about it. Otherwise, there is no dew and the pitch also remains the same throughout. 

Team News

Australia

The Australian team played their second T20 game without their captain Aaron Finch, who wasn’t available due to a hip injury. Whether he has recovered fully or not is still to be confirmed. In case he hasn’t then the same team is likely to play. If Finch comes in, he would most likely replace the opener D’Arcy Short as Matthew Wade has proved that he is good at the opening spot, while Short hasn’t really got going. 

Strongest XI

D Arcy Short/ Aaron Finch(c), Matthew Wade (wk), Marcus Stoinis, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Moises Henriques, Daniel Sams, Sean Abbott, Mitchell Swepson, Adam Zampa, Andrew Tye

India

The Indian team has done really well in the last game and since most of these players won’t be getting a game soon, the probability of the team remaining unchanged is very high, until and unless Virat wants to test the pairing of Bumrah and Shami. In batting, no change seems like the order of the day. 

Strongest XI

KL Rahul (wk), Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli (c), Shreyas Iyer, Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, T Natarajan, Yuzvendra Chahal

Australia vs India: Dream11 and fantasy team suggestions

KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Steven Smith(vc), Matthew Wade, Hardik Pandya(c), Marcus Stoinis, Moises Henriques, Shardul Thakur, Adam Zampa, T Natarajan

Captain: Hardik Pandya

Vice Captain: Steve Smith

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