Australia v India T20: All you need to know

When is it?

Fresh from their one-off clash with South Africa, the Aussies now host India in a three-match Gillette T20I series played across five days. Game one is at the Gabba on Wednesday night, at 5.50pm local time, while games two (Melbourne on Friday) and three (Sydney on Sunday) are at 6.50pm local time.

How to watch:

Fans can watch the blockbuster three-match T20 series on Foxtel via Fox Cricket, featuring no ad-breaks during play and 4K coverage for eligible subscribers.

For the first time, fans will also be able to watch the T20 INTL series against India on cricket.com.au and the CA Live app via Kayo – a revolutionary new sports streaming product powered by FOX SPORTS, beIN SPORTS and ESPN featuring over 50 sports Live and On Demand.

To sign up for a FREE 14-day trial to Kayo, or for more information on how you can stream cricket this summer, click HERE. 

In addition to the broadcast of the #AUSvIND series, live radio coverage from the ABC and Macquarie networks will also be streamed on cricket.com.au and the CA Live app.

Recent history:

Australia have lost their past four T20Is. The most recent was Saturday's rain-affected 'T10' defeat to South Africa, while prior to that they were whitewashed in the UAE by Pakistan, the world's number one T20I team. Their home form is much stronger however – they have won four straight, against England (twice), New Zealand and Sri Lanka. They are ranked No.3 in T20Is by the ICC.

India have won 11 of their past 12 T20Is, including eight from nine away from home. The lone defeat was against England in Cardiff, in a series they won 2-1. They are ranked No.2 in T20Is by the ICC.

Last time they met:

Australia emerged surprised winners in Guhawati after Jason Behrendorff ripped through India's top order, removing their star first four for single-figure scores to claim figures of 4-21. India were bowled out for 118, a total easily run down by Australia, with Moises Henriques (62no) and Travis Head (48no) taking care of business.

2018 individual form: batsmen

India openers Shikhar Dhawan (second) and Rohit Sharma (fourth) both sit inside the top five T20I run-scorers for the year. Dhawan has been Mr Consistent, hitting five fifties from 15 innings among his 572 runs, which have come at a strike-rate of 141.58. Rohit has batted one more time than his opening partner, and as well as three fifties, has hammered two hundreds to go with the two he already had, which makes him the most prolific centurion in the format's brief international history.

Just outside the top five sit three Australians: Aaron Finch (sixth), D'Arcy Short (seventh) and Glenn Maxwell (eighth). Finch is actually on a very lean run; he has five single-digit scores on the trot for the first time in his T20I career. But looking at the full year, those numbers are offset by some extraordinary early form, which culminated in a world record 172 from 76 balls against Zimbabwe in July. Short debuted in February in Sydney and has already racked up 15 caps, plundering 461 runs in the process – just 15 fewer than Finch. The left-hander has however, been on a downward curve like his captain, with his last four scores reading (most recent first): 0, 10, 2, 4. Maxwell began the year in style, smashing a match-winning hundred against England in Hobart, and his 428 runs have come at a strike-rate of 147.58 and an average of 38.90. He was his team's standout performer against the Proteas with 38, and was the only Australian to manage a half-century against Pakistan in last month's three-match series in the UAE.

Interestingly, the trio are Australia's only representatives in the top 30 run-scorers of 2018, while India boast five batsmen in the top 17 (both teams have played 16 matches). The name Virat Kohli does not appear in the top 30; the India captain has only played seven T20Is this year and, perhaps ominously for the Aussies, is yet to post a half-century.

2018 individual form: bowlers

Unlike a few of his countrymen with the bat, Andrew Tye's form in the KFC Big Bash has transferred to the international arena impressively. Boasting a wide range of clever variations, Tye sits atop the wicket-takers list for the year, with 29 from 16 matches. Sitting in third spot is Queensland quick Billy Stanlake, who has 24 wickets from 15 matches. Beyond these top two, the wickets list for the Aussies drops away dramatically – next up are spinning allrounders Ashton Agar (nine wickets) and Maxwell (eight).

In a telling contrast between the two attacks, India's two leading wicket-takers this year are spinners: leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has 18 wickets in 13 matches, while left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav has 17 wickets in only six matches. Kuldeep's economy rate of 6.22 is the best of the year's top 20 wicket-takers. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and the injured Hardik Pandya (10 wickets each) are next best for the Indians.

Players to watch:

The pressure is mounting on Chris Lynn to repeat his KFC Big Bash form and the Brisbane Heat blaster could well be boosted by the series kicking off on his home ground, the Gabba. Lynn has hit sixes for fun here for Brisbane Heat over the years and India will be hoping their star spinners can limit his impact. Stanlake will take the new ball and hope to hit the Indians with serious pace; he was outstanding last summer in terms of taking early wickets and a repeat act could prove decisive.

Kohli is the obvious choice for the tourists and it's not difficult to find numbers that back that assertion up; last time India played a T20I series in Australia (January 2016), the white-ball master clobbered 90no, 59no and 50. With the ball, Yadav's numbers are extraordinary in his 14-match T20I career to date and while he will be confronted with different conditions to what he's accustomed to at home, he may well enjoy the extra bounce.

The squads

Australia: Aaron Finch (c), Alex Carey (vc, wk), Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, D'Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa.

India: Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma (vc), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik, Rishabh Pant (wk), Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Khaleel Ahmed.

Gillette T20s v India

Gillette T20s v South Africa 

Gillette T20s v India

November 21: The Gabba

November 23: MCG

November 25: SCG

Australia T20 squad: Aaron Finch (c), Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, D'Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa.

India T20 squad: Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma (vc), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik, Rishabh Pant (wk), Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Khaleel Ahmed.