Will India play three spinners or three pacers? India's predicted XI for 1st T20I against Australia

New Delhi: India are set to face Australia in the first T20I at the Manuka Oval in Canberra on October 29. The series opener comes just weeks after their Asia Cup triumph where India played largely on slow, spin-friendly tracks. Now, the challenge shifts from turning pitches in Dubai to bouncy, pace-friendly conditions Down Under.

In the Asia Cup final India went with just one frontline pacer and three spinners but that approach won't work in Canberra. The pitch here offers good bounce and even pace, making fast bowling crucial to success. Adding to that the absence of Hardik Pandya, who remains unavailable and the think tank led by Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir will have a few tough calls to make.

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India's spin trio of Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Varun Chakaravarthy did well in the Asia Cup. However, Canberra isn't a venue that supports spin much. Axar, being an all-rounder, has more chances to be part of the squad as it remains the safest bet among the three. Now, team management is left with a call to make between Kuldeep and Varun.

With pace-friendly conditions expected, India could also look to bolster their seam department. Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh are automatic picks, with Arshdeep’s previous record in Australia, particularly during the 2022 T20 World Cup works in his favour. Adding to that Harshit Rana, who impressed in the recent ODI series and offers depth with the bat and suddenly there’s a strong case for playing three pacers.

It might come down to a straight choice between Varun and Arshdeep. Varun is yet to play in Australia. While his flatter trajectory and bounce can be effective on these pitches but the lack of grip for spinners could make his mystery spin less threatening.

Meanwhile, Arshdeep Singh needs to be fully fit in order to start for Men In Blue as the left-armer was visibly struggling with cramps in Adelaide and even received treatment from the staff on the sidelines.

India predicted XI: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill (vc), Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah