IND vs AUS, T20 World Cup 2021 prediction: Who will win today's warm-up match between India and Australia?
T20 WC: IND vs AUS warm-up Match prediction
India will take on Aaron Finch-led Australia in their second and final warm-up encounter before the main draw of the T20 World Cup 2021 kicks off, in the UAE. This will also be the last chance for Finch & Co. to eradicate their flaws and finalise their team combination prior to the mega event.
Talking about the Men in Blue, the Virat Kohli-led side thrashed England by 7 wickets in their first warm-up encounter, at the ICC Academy Ground, Dubai on Monday evening (October 18). Opting to bowl first, India managed to keep England below the 200-run mark on a batting surface as the 2016 runners-up and one-time champions posted 188-5. In reply, India completed the run-chase with an over to spare, courtesy KL Rahul's 24-ball 51, Ishan Kishan's 46-ball 70* (retired hurt) and Rishabh Pant's 14-ball 29*.
There were plenty of positives for India as Jasprit Bumrah and R Ashwin were impressive with the ball whereas Mohammed Shami conceded 40 runs but also picked up three scalps. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rahul Chahar went for plenty, which is a cause of concern.
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In the batting department, Rahul-Ishan made heads turn with their free-flowing approach whereas India will like Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya to get some more time in the middle. Rohit Sharma is also expected to play versus Australia.
For Australia, their batters such as Finch, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, etc. got starts -- in their narrow win over New Zealand by 3 wickets -- but David Warner's woeful form remains a huge concern. In the bowling department, the likes of Adam Zampa and Kane Richardson did a reasonable job and Mitchell Starc was economical. The onus will be on Josh Hazlewood and Glenn Maxwell in their last warm-up game.
Match prediction for IND vs AUS warm-up game: As a lot will depend on how both sides use their players in the XI, it is tough to predict a winner. However, India are ahead of Australia in terms of their power-hitting and, hence, will start as favourites. Expect a 170-plus game with the chasing side to emerge on top.