India vs Australia 1st T20I: Head-to-head, weather forecast, pitch report, predicted XIs

NEW DELHI: Suryakumar Yadav, known for his explosive batting, will hope to rediscover his touch with the bat even as he leads India into the opening T20 International against Australia on Wednesday.


The contest is expected to be evenly balanced — both India and Australia have won eight of their last ten T20Is, losing just once. While India were involved in one tied game, one of Australia’s matches ended in a washout.

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Though Suryakumar’s recent lean run with the bat remains a concern, the Indian T20 outfit has been the most consistent among the three national teams, functioning almost seamlessly with several youngsters adapting quickly to their roles.

Since taking over as captain, Suryakumar has been exceptional in terms of results, guiding India to 23 wins in 29 matches. His leadership has embodied India’s new T20 philosophy — an aggressive, fearless approach where every batter looks to attack from the very first ball.

India vs Australia T20I series: Full schedule


Date Match Venue Teams Time (IST) Local Time

That mindset, coupled with Surya’s calm yet assertive leadership, has helped India maintain an unbeaten record in bilateral series and clinch the Asia Cup title earlier this year — even if some opponents, including Pakistan, were below par compared to India’s quality and execution.

The Australia series now signals the start of India’s real preparation for the T20 World Cup early next year, with 15 matches lined up to fine-tune their combinations and mindset ahead of the global event.

India vs Australia 1st T20I Predicted XIs

Australia: Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh(c), Josh Inglis(wk), Matt Short, Tim David, Mitchell Owen, Marcus Stoinis, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

India: Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson(wk), Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy

India vs Australia 1st T20I: Pitch Report

The surface at the Manuka Oval in Canberra generally tends to be on the slower side but still offers good value for batters who spend time in the middle. The average first-innings score across all T20 matches at this venue is around 150, while in T20 Internationals it drops slightly to 144. The only previous India–Australia T20I played here was in 2020, when India posted 161 and went on to win by 11 runs.

India vs Australia 1st T20I: Weather Forecast

Canberra is expected to experience a cool week, with mild temperatures and a few chances of rain on match day. However, any showers are likely to be brief and passing. Humidity levels will remain moderate, and the game should be played under mostly cloudy skies.

India vs Australia Head-to-Head Record in T20Is

India (20) | Australia (11)

Since their first T20I meeting in 2007, India and Australia have faced each other 32 times in the shortest format. India have dominated the rivalry, winning 20 of those matches, while Australia have emerged victorious in 11. One game ended with no result.

Of the 32 encounters, 12 have been played on Australian soil — India have won seven of those and lost only four, further underlining their strong record against the hosts.