Guwahati: The Virat Kohli-led Indian outfit has been brilliant so far in the ongoing limited-overs’ series against Australia. They have won the five-match ODI series 4-1, then beat the Aussies in the first T20I match in Ranchi. On Tuesday, they will hope to continue to dominate the Aussies in their second T20I match in Guwahati.
Here are five talking points ahead of the match:
1. India’s outstanding T20I record against Australia
India has an outstanding record against Australia in the shortest format of the game. Now the target is to improve it further with two matches remaining in the series. India are undefeated in their last seven T20Is against the Aussies.
2. Guwahati gets a new cricket stadium
The second T20I match between India and Australia will be played in a brand new stadium. Flanked by hills, the Barsapara stadium, can probably challenge HPCA Dharamsala stadium’s scenic beauty. The foundation stone of the stadium was laid by the then Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi in June 2004. Today, chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal will officially open it. It will become the 49th venue to host an International game and the 18th to host a T20I match in India.
3. Rohit Sharma’s T20I woes
Regarded as one of the greatest modern-day opening batsmen in ODIs, Rohit Sharma, however, has an indifferent record in the T20Is, especially in India. Considering his fluency and class, the 30-year-old should be equally prolific in both the formats. But, that’s not the case. He has an average of 21.86 in India.
4. Importance of David Warner
David Warner will be leading the Aussies for the seventh time in International cricket. The 30-year-old had won all the five matches (3 ODIs and 2 T20Is) he captained Australia before this series. He tasted first defeat as Australia captain in Ranchi. The stand-in skipper is positive though, and promised ‘Aussie brand of cricket’ in Guwahati to keep the three-match series alive.
5. But the focus is clearly on Virat Kohli
India captain, no doubt, is the man of the hour. But his batting performance has been an area of concern for the team. The 28-year-old will be eager to score big. And he has got plenty of incentives to do just that. Ne needs one boundary to become the third player, after Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mohammad Shahzad, to hit 200 fours in T20Is. If he scores 36 runs today, the skipper will become the first Indian and eighth overall to complete 7000 runs in T20Is.
Bureau Report
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