IND vs AUS, 1st T20I: Aaron Finch elects to field
After a disappointing Asia Cup campaign, India begin their home leg with the three-match T20I series against Australia. The two teams will clash in the first T20I in Mohali. All eyes will be on Virat Kohli, who struck a match-winning 82* against Australia at this venue in the 2016 T20 World Cup. Australian captain Aaron Finch has won the toss and elected to field.
Here are the two teams
India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma (captain), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Umesh Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal. Australia (Playing XI): Aaron Finch (captain), Cameron Green, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis, Tim David, Matthew Wade (wicket-keeper), Pat Cummins, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood.
A look at the team news
India's premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah is missing tonight's encounter. Skipper Rohit Sharma informed that he will "probably come back in the second game". The former has preferred Dinesh Karthik over Rishabh Pant. Axar Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal are the two spinners for India. On the other hand, explosive batter Tim David is making his debut for Australia.
Pitch report, timing, and TV listing
The Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali will host this fixture. It's a high-scoring ground, with 177 as the average first innings total. Chasing sides have won three of the five T20Is played here. Dew is likely to aid the batters later on. The match will be telecast live on Star Sports Network and live-streamed on the Hotstar app (7:00 PM IST).
Here is the head-to-head record
India and Australia last engaged in a T20I series in December 2020. The Men in Blue defeated Australia 2-1 Down Under, winning the first two games. India had won the one-off T20I against Australia at home in 2007 and 2013. The 2017 series was drawn, while Australia triumphed in 2019 (2-0). India have a win-loss record of 13-9 against Australia in T20Is (NR: 1).
Kohli set to become India's second-highest run-scorer (international cricket)
Virat Kohli recently slammed a historic T20I century. His first international ton in nearly three years came at the concluded Asia Cup, against Afghanistan. The 33-year-old is set to unlock another achievement in international cricket. He is 207 runs away from becoming India's second-highest run-scorer across formats. Kohli presently has 24,002 runs from 522 innings across formats.
Kohli averages 59.83 against Australia in T20Is
Kohli is the leading run-scorer against Australia in T20Is. He has slammed 718 runs from 19 T20Is at an incredible average of 59.83 against the Aussies. Kohli has struck at a staggering 146.23 in these matches. The tally includes seven half-centuries.
