The 3rd t20I between Australia and India will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Tuesday, December 8. Team India have already won the T20I series and will look to complete a clean sweep. The Aussies, on the other hand, will look to play for pride. More about the Australia vs India 3rd T20I Preview in detail below.
The Indian team is high on confidence after their emphatic win in the second T20I. They chased down the 195-run target on the back of some good by their batsmen. While Shikhar Dhawan gave the team a good start, Kohli anchored it in the middle before Hardik Pandya provided a powerful finish to cap off a memorable finish.
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The Indian batsmen very beautifully managed to counter-attack after their bowlers had an off day at the SCG. The same would be expected of Kohli & co when they take the field on Tuesday.
For Australia, this will be a match they would want to win. Heading into the Test series, this will win give them the much-needed confidence. Meanwhile, they were outplayed by some batting brilliance from the Indian batsmen in the second innings.
Some of their key players are not available for the series which will be a hindrance for them. However, they still have enough firepower to challenge India in the third game.
Head to Head
Out of the 21 games between the two teams, India have won 13, while Australia 8. India are also on a 10-match winning streak in T20Is.
Pitch & Weather Conditions
The weather in Sydney is expected to be cold as per the latest weather update from the western part of the country. Players might be seen wearing sweatshirts and hand gloves in the match too. The match will be played on the center pitch which would equate the ground dimensions on both sides of the wicket.
Team News Ahead of 3rd T20I
No changes are expected from the Indian team in the last game. Though Mohammed Shami was expensive in the last two games, he is set to play the last game, with the Indian thinktank allowing Bumrah to get enough rest before the first Test. Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer will hold onto ths spot even if Manish Pandey gets fit. This means that Sanju Samson will get another opportunity to make a substantial contribution for his team.
Australia, on the other hand, will look to give opportunities to a few of their fringe players. Nathan Lyon might get a look in for one of the spinners, while Alex Carey might replace D’Arcy Short at the top. Aaron Finch has not recovered from his hip injury which means that Matthew Wade will continue to lead the team. He would ideally want to end the series with a win.
Squads
Australia
Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Daniel Sams, D’Arcy Short, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Andrew Tye, Matthew Wade, Adam Zampa
India
KL Rahul (wk), Virat Kohli (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Sanju Samson, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar, Deepak Chahar, Mohammed Shami, T Natarajan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Shardul Thakur, Shreyas Iyer, Mayank Agarwal, Navdeep Saini
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