After an ODI series which ended a lot closer than it really ever was while it was competitive, Australia and India now turn their attention to a much more important five-match T20 series which gets underway in Canberra on Wednesday.
The Manuka Oval will play host to the two teams who are arguably the favourites to win the T20 World Cup in the early part of 2026 with Australia the 50 over world champions going up against the reigning T20 global superstars of India.
Australia
Australia were victorious in the ODI series which preceded this T20 series and now they will be looking to get off to a fast start in these games. Australia are former world champions in this format of the game and in recent times have launched themselves into the thinking as being favourites to reclaim that crown. The Ashes is getting ever closer so it will be interesting to see how they handle their stock in these matches the longer the series goes on.
We know how Australia are going to look to play. They will get after the bowling when they have the bat in hand and look to utilise the sensational depth that they have with the bat while with the ball they will go in search of powerplay wickets and if they don’t materialise they will look to their spinners to squeeze things in the middle overs. If that hasn’t worked they have a death bowler who can get them out of trouble should it be necessary.
India
The reigning world champions India have a real chance to put a marker down over these upcoming five matches. If they can get the better of Australia in away conditions then when it comes to hosting the T20 World Cup they would be even warmer favourites than perhaps they will be going into that series. India were poor in the opening two ODI matches but they were far too good in the third and will be looking to carry that momentum into this match with them.
This will be the first time that India have been out in T20 competition since they won the Asia Cup. In that tournament they were spin heavy with the ball but you would expect that plan to go west for this series so their seamers have the chance to play their way into the T20 World Cup plans. If India are going to win this series, and indeed their home World Cup which follows it, then you would imagine that they are going to need to show all of their aggression with the bat.
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Team News
Australia are expected to name Travis Head and Josh Hazlewood in their starting XI for this match despite The Ashes getting ever closer. Nathan Ellis is likely to return while Josh Inglis is another coming back into the side.
India have Jasprit Bumrah lined up and ready to go in this series opener while Axar Patel is expected to be one of the two spinners to give the side some batting depth. Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy will compete for the other spot.
Betting
I expect this to be a higher scoring series the longer it goes on but there is a fairly chance it doesn’t begin that way. I say that for a few reasons. The first is that the weather in Canberra is not brilliant in the hours leading up to the match and while it is expected to be dry during it, the pitch might do a bit to begin with.
Another reason why is because Manuka Oval isn’t a high scoring ground. In the four completed T20Is here 348 is the most runs that have been scored. Add in bowling attacks who are well suited to getting control of the opposing batting unit and I don’t think the runs are automatically going to flow. I like under 352.5 runs here.
Tips
Back Under 352.5 runs for a 3/10 stake at 1.83 with Bet365
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