Australia vs India 2018, 1st T20I: Dream11 Fantasy Tips

India and Australia, the two sides of a flip coin at the moment, will face off in the 3-match T20I series which kick-starts in Brisbane. Team India has won each of the last seven T20I series/tournaments while Australia is yet to win an International series/tournament (including one-off games) since the tour of South Africa. The current Australian line-up is a mixture of the top performers from the domestic league who are trying to make an impact at this level.

Aaron Finch started the year in T20Is grandly and also broke his own record of the highest T20I score. However, in the last five innings in this format, the Australian captain aggregated only 12 runs. His opening partner Chris Lynn is known for his big-hitting skills is permitted with only glimpses of those for Australia. The Queensland-born is only one big knock away from getting going at the International stage. However, the duo could find the going tough against a quality Indian bowling.

Match Details:

The first T20I match between Australia and India will be hosted by the Gabba in Brisbane.

The match starts at 5:50 PM local time (7:50 AM GMT) (1:20 PM IST).

Last five T20I matches:

Australia: L, L, L, L, W.

India: W, W, W, W, L.

Pitch Condition/Report:

The Gabba is one of the high-scoring venues during the Big Bash League. The venue has witnessed big scores during the league despite having large boundaries. The average first-innings score since 2015 at this venue reads 170+ and this year it was over 180.

Squads:

Australia:

Aaron Finch (C), Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, D Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa.

India:

Virat Kohli (C), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Lokesh Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik, Rishabh Pant, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, K Khaleel Ahmed.

Probable XI:

Australia:

Aaron Finch (C), D’Arcy Short, Alex Carey, Chris Lynn, Ben McDermott, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Billy Stanlake, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa/Jason Behrendorff.

India:

Virat Kohli (C), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Lokesh Rahul, Dinesh Karthik, Rishabh Pant, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, K Khaleel Ahmed.

Power Picks:

Chris Lynn scored 883 runs in 25 T20 innings at the Gabba at an average of 42.04. He scored those runs at a strike-rate of 173.13 and has hit 53 sixes at this venue irrespective of the big boundaries. The previous T20I in Chennai against Windies was the first time that Khaleel Ahmed went wicketless for India. He claimed a wicket in the six ODIs and two T20Is he played before that game.

Best Playing XI:

Dinesh Karthik, Aaron Finch, Chris Lynn, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Krunal Pandya, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Andrew Tye.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul have the ability to play a really big knock on their day. If the duo gets off to a good start, they are capable of finishing with at least 80+ to their name. Aaron Finch can be considered for captaincy role but his last five innings in T20I cricket create a doubt about his chances of converting in this first game. Chris Lynn will be the best option among Australian players to be picked as captain given his success at the venue.

The size of the boundaries in Brisbane makes Kuldeep Yadav a valuable multiplier option adding to Australia’s struggles against spin. Andrew Tye also comes under the same category due to his ability to take a bulk of wickets at the death. Jasprit Bumrah can pick wickets at any given stage of the game and makes a case for being the vice-captain.

Expert Advice:

Virat Kohli might not be a direct pick in this series given his batting position. The likes of Rohit, Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan who bat ahead of Kohli and at least one of them will play a big knock. Australia will be confused regarding the selection of Jason Behrendorff after a costly outing the previous game. However, the left-arm pacer did trouble Indian batsmen during the T20I series in India last year.

Probable Winners:

Team India is expected to defeat Australia comfortably in the first T20I based on its strengths and the recent form of both sides.

*Disclaimer: This team is based on the understanding, analysis and instinct of the author. While selecting your team, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision.

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