After an unforgettable Asian Cup 2022 campaign, the Indian team will be keen to make amends when they face Australia at home in the next three-game series. The Men in Blue take on the Australians from September 20-25, with three T20Is to play in Mohali, Nagpur and Hyderabad.
The T20I series will be crucial for Team India to find their best playing combination, given that there are only a handful of games left until the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia. The ICC event will start on October 16 and end on November 13.
A majority of Indian players named in the 15-member T20 World Cup squad will be part of the Australian series. As such, they will be keen to deliver impressive performances and boost their confidence ahead of the mega tournament.
India and Australia have faced each other in 23 T20Is so far. The Men in Blue have a slight advantage in the head-to-head race, having won 13 games, while Australia have won nine. One of the T20Is between the teams produced no results. At home, India have won four and lost three of their seven matches.
As Team India prepare to take on Australia, we look back at five impressive Men in Blue T20I bowling performances against the Australians.
#5 Jasprit Bumrah (3/16) – 1st T20I at Visakhapatnam, February 2019
Indian team speedster Jasprit Bumrah came back with impressive numbers of 3/16 in Visakhapatnam in the first T20I of the two-game series in 2019. Bumrah’s excellent effort was in vain, however, as Australia chased the goal of 127 on the last ball with three wickets in hand.
As Glenn Maxwell smashed 56, Bumrah gave the Australians nervous moments in the chase, trapping opposition skipper Aaron Finch lbw for a golden duck.
Peter Handscomb (13) then edged the point guard to the keeper, while Nathan Coulter-Nile (four) was knocked down by a yorker. However, Pat Cummins (seven*) and Jhye Richardson (seven*) took Australia over the line in a tense final.
#4 Krunal Pandya (4/36) – 3rd T20I in Sydney, November 2018
Left arm spinner Krunal Pandya impressed with numbers of 4/36 in the Sydney T20I during the 2018/19 series. Australia won the toss and struck first in game three of the three-game series. Krunal’s brilliance limited the hosts to 164/6 in 20 overs.
Krunal trapped the well placed lbw D’Arcy Short for 33 from 29 balls. He was on a hat-trick as Ben McDermott (0) missed his sweep and was also knocked out before. Maxwell’s (13) attempt at the left arm spinner ended at the hands of the longtime defender. Krunal had his fourth when Alex Carey (27) broke a choppy delivery to deep midwicket.
For his superb 4/36 tricks, Krunal Pandya was named Player of the Match in the third T20I between Australia and India. What a fate for the novice! https://t.co/uELZwHyq7N
Chasing 165, Team India were brought home by Virat Kohli (61* out of 41). Shikhar Dhawan started 41 from 22, while Dinesh Karthik contributed to a 22-from-18 unbeaten run. The Men in Blue secured a six-wicket victory with two balls to spare.
#3 Yuzvendra Chahal (3/25) – 1st T20I in Canberra, December 2020
When the first T20I of the 2020-21 series started in Canberra, leg spinner Yuzvendra Chahal was not part of India’s playing XI. However, an injury to Ravindra Jadeja (44* from 23) during his stint at bat saw him replaced by the leg spinner. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise as Chahal claimed 3/25 to play in Team India’s 11-point win.
After India put up a competitive 161 for seven first batters, Chahal’s heroism limited the Australians to 150/7. The leg spinner ended the 56 opening partnership by catching Finch (35) with a lobbed delivery outside the stump. He then caught Steven Smith’s other big fish (12), who pushed the spinner, only to be brilliantly caught deep midwicket.
Chahal had his third when Matthew Wade (seven) dominated a deep midwicket sweep. Starting left arm tailor T Natarajan also won 3/30 as Indian bowlers outplayed Australian batters to take the crucial 1-0 lead in the three-game series.
#2 Jasprit Bumrah (3/23) – 1st T20I in Adelaide, January 2016
Bumrah won 3/23 on his T20I debut as Team India beat the Australians by 37 points in Adelaide in the first T20I of the three-game series in 2015-16. The Men in Blue were sent to bat after losing the toss, after which Kohli’s 55-ball 90* took them to an impressive 188/3.
Bumrah then took three wickets as the Australians were knocked out for 151 in 19.3 overs. Australia got off to a flying start in the chase, adding 47 runs in five overs. Bumrah broke the dangerous position as David Warner (17) trailed a pull-up halfway.
He came back at the death to clean up James Faulkner (10) with a yorker. Bumrah finished the game by catching Cameron Boyce (three) mid-stroke on a slower ball. Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin and fellow rookie Hardik Pandya also contributed with two scalps each.
#1 Ravichandran Ashwin (4/11) – World Cup T20 Group Match in Mirpur, March 2014
Seasoned off-spinner Ashwin won a stunning 4/11 figures as the Indian side beat Australia by 73 points in the 2014 T20 World Cup group clash at Mirpur. The Australians sent India to bat, after which Yuvraj Singh’s 60 put the Men in Blue up 159 for 7.
Ashwin’s four-wicket haul saw Australia crumble to 86 from 16.2 overs in the chase. The off-spinner hit early as Finch (six) overshot a slog near the middle. A struggling Warner (19 of 21) tried to break free against Ashwin, but only managed to slide a hold to deep midwicket.
The smart officer got his third scalp when Maxwell (23 of 12) missed a reverse sweep and was knocked down. It was Ashwin who deservedly put the finishing touches to a dominating display, having James Muirhead (three) taken behind.
Also read: IND vs. AUS 2022: “Hard pitches with real bounce” – Wasim Jaffer’s suggestion for Team India’s next home T20I series
