Daijiworld Media Network
Sydney, Feb 1: Welcome to the first T20I between Australia and India from the new Sydney Ground. This is taking place at Stadium Australia, the venue for the 2000 Olympics. India will look for a turnaround after the 0-4 thrashing in the Test series. Australia will be led by George Bailey and he will want to make a winning start to his captaincy stint.
News from Sydney: The city witnessed a heavy, unseasonal downpour of rain in the morning, which could affect the Twenty20 match. The good news is that weather forecasters have said the rain is likely to lessen and stop as the day goes on. Stay tuned for further updates.
Warner: It was a great Test series. I have some form under my belt and I hope to carry it forward. I have showed how I can bat in Tests but T20 is all about good strike rates. The ANZ stadium wicket is different than that of Perth. The straight boundary is short and I am looking forward to playing the switch-hit. A total of 160-170 is gettable on this drop-in pitch. It is a good wicket for bowlers and the batsmen.
George Bailey is the first player to make his debut as skipper of Australia since Dave Gregory in 1877. Gregory captained Australia in their inaugural Test against England.
Bailey: We have three debutants in the squad. Doherty, Faulkner and myself are making our debuts.
Dhoni: We have decided to bowl first. We prefer to chase. The pitches are different than the ones in India.
Conditions are currently overcast at the moment but there is no sign of the rain. The weather today is not so promising, but one hopes that the rain stays away.
Stadium Australia is now the 19th Australian ground to host an international match.
Pitch Report: The match will be played under overcast conditions. The pace bowlers might struggle with their run-ups and the humid weather. There will be some movement off the surface, the bounce might be a touch uneven. The pitch looks to be a good playing surface.
Teams:
Australia (Playing XI): David Warner, Matthew Wade(w), Travis Birt, David Hussey, George Bailey(c), Daniel Christian, Mitchell Marsh, Xavier Doherty, James Faulkner, Brett Lee, Brad Hogg
India (Playing XI): Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni(w/c), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Rahul Sharma, Vinay Kumar, Praveen Kumar