India v Australia First T20 Tips: New-look hosts underrated in a chase

• India too big batting second

• Vizag pitch has big toss bias

• Yadav a bet at 3/14.00

India v Australia
Thursday 23 November, 08:30
TV: Live on Sky Sports

India v Australia team news

This is a completely different India team to the ome which failed in the World Cup final. There is no Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah et al. Suryakumar Yadav does remain though and will be asked to lead the side. Ishan Kishan, who was in that World Cup squad along with Axar Patel, could be considered semior players.

Yas Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad will be charged with fast starts and if they play with aggression and no ego, they can set up India for a strong title tilt in the World T20 in June. It should be time to move on from the likes of Rohit and Kohli in this format.

Possible XI: Jaiswal, Gaikwad, Kishan, Yadav, Varma, Rinku/Dube, Sundar, Axar, Arshdeep, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh/Mukesh

David Warner has withdrawn from the squad but World Cup final hero Travis Head, Adam Zampa, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell and Steve Smith are asked to go again.

We don't expect all of them to play in game one, though. Spinner Tanveer Sangha, for example, should give Zampa a rest. Jason Behrendorff and Nathan Ellis should lead the pace attack. Matthew Wade is skipper.

Possible XI: Head, Wade, Short, Inglis, Stoinis, David, Hardie, Abbott, Ellis, Behrendorff, Sangha

India v Australia pitch report

India defended 179 with ease against South Africa in 2022. Prior to that there were 14 Syed Musthtaq Trophy and two IPL matches in 2019, which threw up a toss bias. Only three of those were won by the defender. There were also only seven scores of 150 or more. This suggests going overs on a par line is fraught with danger.

India v Australia match odds

India are 2.226/5 with Australia 1.834/5. The market, wrongly, remains enthrall to those India big guns. It can be the only explanation for the skewed match odds.

This is an exciting, thrusting India team and many would argue if they played without fear and the influence of the likes of Rohit and Kohli they would stand a better chance in that World T20.

We will keep the toss bias on side in Vizag but otherwise the hosts rate a strong bet. The scheduling in the game is, of course, crackers, but why Australia have not picked a second-string like India is anyone's guess. It is extremely harsh to ask the World Cup winners to go to the well again. They must be exhausted.

India v Australia player bets

With Australia having played only three T20s in the last year we don't have a big shout on value on the player markets, save for the potential edge on Wade at 4/15.00 as we think he may open.

Instead there are win-rate wagers on Suryakumar at 3/14.00 and Tilak Varma at 5/16.00 for top India bat. Yadav wins at the rate of a 13/82.63 chance in the last two years while Varma has three wins in ten.

With the ball Arshdeep Singh has been dominant, striking at 13 and taking 25 wickets in 17. He is 3/14.00 for top india bowler with Sportsbook.

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