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India's not out batters Virat Kohli, second left, and Rohit Sharma, right, shake hands with Australian players after their One Day International cricket match in Sydney, Australia, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (AP)
India's T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav faces a crucial test of leadership and batting form as India prepare to face Australia in the opening T20 International in Canberra on Wednesday, marking the beginning of India's preparation for the T20 World Cup next year with 15 games ahead.LIVE: India vs Australia 1st T20IBoth teams enter the contest with strong recent records, each winning eight of their last 10 T20I matches. India had one tie and Australia experienced one washout in their respective remaining matches.
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Suryakumar has achieved remarkable success as captain, securing 23 victories in 29 games while implementing an aggressive batting approach from the first ball.The team's aggressive strategy and Suryakumar's leadership have yielded positive results, including bilateral series wins and an Asia Cup victory, though against relatively lesser-ranked teams.The Australia series initiates India's preparation phase for the upcoming T20 World Cup, with additional series against South Africa and New Zealand to follow on home conditions.The outcomes of the current series may have limited impact, as the subsequent matches will be played in conditions similar to those expected at the T20 World Cup.While head coach Gautam Gambhir has expressed full support for Suryakumar, the captain's recent batting performance requires attention.
Suryakumar's batting statistics show a decline from 733 runs in 18 innings during 2023 to less than 450 runs in 2024, further dropping to just 100 runs from 10 innings in 2025.Suryakumar's batting technique, particularly his tendency to play behind the square, will be tested against Josh Hazlewood's precise bowling on Australian pitches.The Indian bowling attack features Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy, whose performances will be crucial if the batting unit posts competitive scores.The spin bowling trio of Varun, Kuldeep Yadav, and Axar Patel will play a vital role alongside the pace duo of Bumrah and Arshdeep against Australia's powerful batting lineup.India's T20 record vs Australia in AustraliaMatches: 17India won: 7Australia won: 4No Result: 1
- India have won their last three bilateral T20I series against Australia including a 2-1 win last time around (December 2020); they were winless in their previous three series against Australia (D2 L1).
- India are unbeaten in their last nine bilateral multi-game T20I series, with six consecutive series wins. Only once before have they recorded more consecutive series wins.
- India have won seven of their previous eight T20Is against Australia, including the last three in a row.
- Australia are undefeated in their previous eight bilateral multi-game men’s T20I series (W7 D1). They have also claimed victory in their last four series, which is their joint-longest winning streak.
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