AUS vs IND: Combined XI from Australia vs India T20I series
Australian cricket team managed to emerge victorious in the third and final T20 International against India by 12 runs in Sydney, after losing two T20I games on a trot, to deny the Men in Blue a cleansweep. The T20I series witnessed three thrilling affairs as the players from both sides tried their best to outshine others and contribute towards their team’s victory. Here is the combined Best XI from AUS vs IND T20I series.
Matthew Wade (wk)
Matthew Wade played some crucial knocks for his team and was the main reason behind Australia putting up a comprehensive total on the board in the last 2 games. Opening the innings in 2nd T20I, Wade smashed a stunning half-century (58 runs off 32 deliveries) while he played a match-defining knock of 80 runs in the third game. The left-hander also emerged as a live wire on the field with gloves in his hands.
KL Rahul
India’s vice-captain KL Rahul continued his brilliant form in the shortest format of the game during the Australia tour too. He began the T20I series with a much-needed half-century (51 off 40). This was followed by the opening batsman giving a decent start to the team in the second T20I by smashing 30 runs off 22 deliveries.
Virat Kohli (C)
There are few better to watch in world cricket than Virat Kohli when he’s up and going ? #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/rjQAXNVBIi
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 9, 2020
Indian skipper Virat Kohli can be truly adjudged the captain of this combined XI for his awareness on the match field and brilliant rotation of bowlers in all the three games. He emerged as a lone warrior for India during the third T20I as he smashed a stunning 85 runs off 61 deliveries. Kohli had also made a notable contribution in the second T20I with the willow by scoring 40 runs in 24 balls while India was chasing a mammoth target of 195.
Glenn Maxwell
Marvellous Maxwell! What a superb series from the Aussie allrounder and the third T20I was no exception! #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/2r6noVRkAZ
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 9, 2020
Power-hitter Glenn Maxwell continued his red-hot form with the willow in the T20Is too as he collected 76 runs in the last two games. His innings of 54 runs off 36 deliveries was the main reason behind Australia putting up a comprehensive total of 186 on the board during the final T20I. Also, the all-rounder had chipped in few overs with the ball too in the third T20I and had given an early breakthrough to his team by picking the wicket of KL Rahul in the first over.
Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya was phenomenal with the bat for the Men in Blue in the middle-order. He garnered 78 runs in three games at a stunning strike rate of 156. Pandya had played a remarkable innings of unbeaten 42 runs off 22 deliveries in the second game and had helped India in reaching the finishing line. For his heroics with the willow, Hardik was also adjudged the Man of the Series.
Moises Henriques
All-rounder Moises Henriques was the hero of Australia’s bowling line-up in the inaugural T20 International as he had picked three priced wickets of KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya and Sanju Samson. His figures of the first game read 4-0-22-3. The right-hander also contributed with the willow for the hosts by scoring 30, 26 and 5* in three games respectively.
Washington Sundar
Right-arm off-break spinner Washington Sundar made an amazing comeback in the Indian team by bowling parsimonious spells with the new ball. Though Sundar failed to pick any wickets in the first two games, he redeemed himself by conceding just 16 and 35 runs respectively. The spinner finally picked two prized wickets of Aaron Finch and Steve Smith for India during the third game.
Adam Zampa
Australian spinner Adam Zampa was on fire during the whole white-ball tour against India. Zampa took only three wickets in three T20I games but ensured that he didn’t concede many runs in the middle overs and slowed down the pace of the innings for the opposition. Zampa emerged as the go-to bowler for the Australian captain for giving major breakthroughs to the team at crucial times.
Mitchell Swepson
There are few better to watch in world cricket than Virat Kohli when he’s up and going ? #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/rjQAXNVBIi
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 9, 2020
Australia’s right-arm leg break bowler Mitchell Swepson impressed the cricket fraternity with his disciplined bowling. Swepson picked 5 wickets in three games including a three-wicket haul. He picked three priced wickets in the third game to deny the visitors a series clean sweep and won the Man of the Match award for the same.
Mitchell Starc
Australia’s veteran pacer Mitchell Starc featured in only the first T20 International against India as he opted out of the rest of the series citing personal reasons. However, the pacer made sure to leave his impact in the shortest format of the game as he picked two important wickets of Shikhar Dhawan and Washington Sundar while giving away 34 runs in his four overs.
T Natarajan
Thangarasu Natarajan was the revelation for the Indian team in the T20I series. He impressed the who’s who of the cricket fraternity with his tight bowling and ability to bowl pin-point toe-crushing yorkers in death and middle-overs. Natarajan had a dream debut in the shortest format of the game as he picked 3 wickets against Australia in the first T20I while conceding just 30 runs. The Tamil Nadu-born finished the three-match series with 6 wickets.
