Australia a good acid test
India will have the benefit of playing in their own familiar conditions come the World Cup, but playing in Australia in the coming months will only benefit the hosts next year. The Aussies remain a formidable force in white-ball cricket, and it will be a good acid test for India to see where they are at, with well less than a year to go before the World Cup gets underway.
Australia boast some top-quality batsman, including the likes of skipper Aaron Finch, Steve Smith and David Warner. All three players boast a wealth of experience and will be the batting core for Australia at the World Cup, which will be a test for any country’s bowlers to dismantle, including India’s.
There is still plenty of time before the tournament for India to get their house in order, for what will be a high-pressure event with millions hoping and expecting the hosts to lift the trophy.
T20 world crown could be decided on who will win today?
India’s preparations for the T20 World Cup next year have not been the smoothest, making it hard to predict how they will fare in the major tournament on home soil.
All countries are building up to the competition in the shortest format of the game next October, but India might have well hoped for slightly easier preparations for the event.
Injury blows for the Sharmas
It will be looking to put some serious groundwork in for the tournament in their white-ball matches against Australia, but it has not helped to have two key players recovering from injury. Rohit Sharma managed to guide the Mumbai Indians to IPL glory once again this year, but it came at a cost with the opening batsman out with a hamstring injury.
Fast bowler Ishant Sharma has only just recovered from a side injury but requires plenty of work behind the scenes before he is ready for the rigours of international cricket.
Both players are key cogs in the Indian machine, and every precaution will be taken to ensure they can get back up to full speed when they’re ready. While on one hand, the preparations for the tour of Australia have taken a blow, India supporters might be more than slightly relieved these setbacks have happened now, rather than closer or during the World Cup next year.
The Kohli question?
Meanwhile, the debate has been rumbling on in the background regarding the future of skipper Virat Kohli and whether he should be the man to lead his country at the 2021 T20 World Cup.
After another successful season in the IPL, a section of supporters, pundits and ex-players feel Rohit Sharma should be the player to captain India at the major event. Kohli had an underwhelming IPL campaign in 2020 and some feel Sharma’s decision making, especially in the bowling department, has outshone the man with the India armband at present. For the moment it’s Kohli in the driving seat, but he will need to keep up picking up victories and try to put no doubt in the question of who should lead the side.
Since winning the first T20 World Cup in 2007, India have not lifted the trophy in the following five tournaments. India are 9/4 favourites with bet365 to win the competition next year, and looking at the stats will be key in the lead up to the event. Knowing who will lift the trophy in less than 12 months could well be based on the form and the key questions: who will win today?
Australia a good acid test
India will have the benefit of playing in their own familiar conditions come the World Cup, but playing in Australia in the coming months will only benefit the hosts next year. The Aussies remain a formidable force in white-ball cricket, and it will be a good acid test for India to see where they are at, with well less than a year to go before the World Cup gets underway.
Australia boast some top-quality batsman, including the likes of skipper Aaron Finch, Steve Smith and David Warner. All three players boast a wealth of experience and will be the batting core for Australia at the World Cup, which will be a test for any country’s bowlers to dismantle, including India’s.
There is still plenty of time before the tournament for India to get their house in order, for what will be a high-pressure event with millions hoping and expecting the hosts to lift the trophy.
