India vs Australia 1st T20I: Toss report and playing XI details

India secured a consolation win in the third and final ODI against Australia and the Men in Blue will be looking to carry forward the momentum into the three-match T20I series.

On the other hand, Australia might have lost the T20I series against England in September this year, but the team from Down Under has clearly dominated India in the ODI series.

India last played a T20I series in January this year and the side white-washed New Zealand 5-0 in Kiwi land.

Australia and India are currently ranked at the second and third spot in the ICC T20I Team Rankings and the series will go a long way in also preparing for the T20 World Cup that is to be played in November 2021.

As for the team news, India have handed an international T20 debut to T Natarajan, who was very impressive in the last ODI and the recently concluded IPL 2020. Ahead of the match, Natarajan got his T20I debut cap from pacer Jasprit Bumrah.

From the ODI side, India have brought in T20 specialists like Deepak Chahar, Washington Sundar, Manish Pandey and Sanju Samson into the fold for Friday’s match. Shreyas Iyer and Yuzvendra Chahal were the surprise exclusions in the team.

Australia, meanwhile, opt for D’Arcy Short, who will open the batting with his captain Finch. Mitchell Starc, who missed the last ODI is fit and back in the playing XI for the hosts, who have also brought in Matthew Wade and Mitchell Swepson.

While Indian team will continue to sport a vintage kit, Australia players are celebrating their ‘First Nations’ people by wearing their incredible Indigenous playing shirt in the T20I series.

Here is the playing XI for India vs Australia, 1st T20I:

Australia: Aaron Finch (captain), D’Arcy Short, Matthew Wade (wicketkeeper), Steven Smith, Moises Henriques, Glenn Maxwell, Sean Abbott, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood.

India: Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Virat Kohli (captain), Manish Pandey, Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Deepak Chahar, Mohammed Shami, T Natarajan.

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