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AUS vs IND T20Is: 5 batsmen to watch out for | 5 batsmen to watch out for in the Australia vs India T20I series

The ODI series between Australia and India came to an end on the Wednesday with Australia emerging as the winners by a margin of 2-1. The home team was absolutely dominant in the first two games, whereas the visitors managed to get a hard-fought victory in the last ODI at Manuka Oval.

Now, it’s time for some T20 cricket as both sides will lock horns once again in the first T20I; to be played at the same venue as that of the final ODI. So, ahead of what promises to be a cracking contest, I am going to mention five batsmen to watch out for in this series. Here we go.

Also read: 5 memorable Australia vs India T20Is

5. Shikhar Dhawan

Although Dhawan doesn’t have spectacular numbers in T20Is, his average and SR are significantly better versus Australia in Australia. He averages 38 and has scored at a rapid SR of 168.14 in Australia contrary to his overall average and SR of 28.36 and 128.27 respectively. This shows that he feels more comfortable to bat there.

Added to that, his recent performance in the IPL was also really good. He scored 618 runs at a tremendous average of 44.14 and a more-than-decent SR of almost 145. Preliminarily tagged as an ODI batsman, Dhawan has shown his adaptability in the shortest format of the game and therefore I have some serious hopes from him to do well in this series.

4. Steve Smith

Already considered as a legend in Test cricket, Steve Smith has surely been underwhelming in his T20I career so far. But, if I consider his last nine T20I innings, he has scored 281 runs at an average of almost 47 and a SR of 147.12, which are much higher than his career average and SR.

I was so impressed by the way he paced his innings and scored two back-to-back hundreds in 62 balls in the ODIs. He was really busy in the middle and the Indian bowlers found it really difficult to dismiss him early. His T20I numbers are also impressive in Australia. Therefore, I feel if Smith doesn’t do anything foolish, he can frustrate the Indian bowlers in the T20I series, too.

Also read: Twitter reactions to Steve Smith’s incredible century in the 2nd ODI

3. Virat Kohli

The love story between Virat Kohli and Australia is second to none. He loves that particular opposition and the venue as well. He has an incredible average of 79.25 and a SR of 145.41 in T20Is against the Aussies in their own den. He did decently in the recently concluded ODI series by scoring 173 runs at an impressive average of 57.67 and a good SR of 93.01. In the absence of Rohit Sharma, Virat holds the key for the Indian batting line up to be successful. I expect him to take responsibility as he always does and play some match-defining innings in this series.

Also read: Twitter reactions to Virat Kohli becoming the fastest to 12,000 ODI runs

2. Hardik Pandya

I don’t consider Hardik Pandya as just another random hitter as his T20I stats suggest. He has immense ability and showcased his batting prowess in the ODI series by turning out to be the highest scorer for India with 210 runs with two 90+ scores. He was also terrific for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL and scored 281 runs at an average of 35.13 and had a brilliant SR of almost 179.

Moreover, he has improved his game against the hard length and smashed bowlers like Archer, Rabada, Nortje etc effortlessly. So, if he gets around 5-6 overs; which ideally he should get in a T20I, he can surely be the difference between two sides with his game-changing impactful knocks.

1. Glenn Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell loves Indian bowling, doesn’t he? He did hit a magnificent century versus India at Bangalore in 2019. He played blistering knocks in all the three ODIs recently. He averages over 35 and his SR is over 145 against India.

What specialty he brings is his unorthodox and brutal hitting skills. He has the ability to hit the same ball straight down the ground and reverse sweep it over the thirdman or backward point as well. In the absence of Warner, the role of Maxwell obviously gets magnified as an experienced player in the side. Based on his current form, I really believe he is going to be a headache for the visitors.

This is my list of five batsmen to watch out for in the upcoming T20I series between these two giant teams.  Any others come to mind? Have your say!

Written by Debashish Sarangi. Follow Debashish on Twitter today.