Canberra Witnesses India vs. Australia T20I Series Opener

India and Australia commenced their five-match T20 International series today at Manuka Oval in Canberra, marking the start of India's preparations for the T20 World Cup 2026. The series holds significant importance as it pits the top two teams in the ICC T20I rankings against each other.

Suryakumar Yadav leads the Indian side, aiming to begin the series with a victory and somewhat avenge their 2-1 loss to Australia in the preceding ODI series. Mitchell Marsh captains the Australian team, who have demonstrated renewed vigor in the T20 format.

India enters the series on a high note, having secured the Asia Cup title without suffering a single defeat. In contrast, Australia is also in strong form, having lost only two of their last 20 T20Is, adopting an aggressive, power-hitting approach.

Match Overview

The toss took place at 1:15 PM IST. India and Australia have faced each other in 32 T20I matches, with India holding a 20-11 advantage in wins. One match resulted in no result.

Key Players

Suryakumar Yadav's form is under scrutiny as he embarks on his first tour of Australia as captain. The Indian batting lineup boasts a formidable top order, including Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill, with depth in the middle order through players like Shivam Dube and Rinku Singh. Jasprit Bumrah's return bolsters India's bowling attack after he was rested during the ODI series. Australia's Mitchell Marsh has been in excellent batting form, averaging over 125 in his last four innings. The Australian squad includes players like Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Tim David, and Marcus Stoinis. Glenn Maxwell is set to participate in the final three games of the series, while Josh Hazlewood featured in the first two.

Venue and Conditions

The pitch at Manuka Oval is known to be slow, providing assistance to spinners but rewarding batsmen who spend time adapting to the conditions. The average first-innings score in T20s at this venue is around 150, while in international matches, it slightly decreases to 144. In the previous T20I between India and Australia at this ground in 2020, India scored 161 and won by 11 runs.

Teams Squads Australia's squad includes Mitchell Marsh (c), Sean Abbott (games 1-3), Xavier Bartlett, Mahli Beardman (games 3-5), Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis. India's squad includes Surya Kumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Rinku Singh, N Tilak Varma.

Series Significance

This T20I series serves as crucial preparation for both teams ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026. It allows them to experiment with different combinations and strategies.

Where to Watch

Live streaming of the Australia vs India T20 2025 series is available on the JioHotstar app and website in India. Live telecast of the matches is on the Star Sports Network's TV channels in India.

Currently, after 5.3 overs, India is at 49/1.