Team India will eye to sort out their proper combinations, especially in the middle-order batting, ahead of the shortest format World Cup in the three-match T20I series against Australia beginning today. Though the rest will be given to a few fast bowlers over the course of six T20I games, India is going to play with its strong team. After Australia, India will host South Africa for three T20I matches.

Men in blue will play with a full-strength squad, especially in batting to finalize combinations.  Maintaining flexibility in the T20 format would have been important but India skipper Rohit Sharma has made it clear that he would like to get all the answers from his players before the ICC tournament in Australia.

India’s lack of depth in the bowling department was exposed in the Asia Cup event, but the return of Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel has strengthened the pace attack. The top-four in the Indian batting order is pretty much fixed but the jury is still out on the role of wicketkeepers Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik in the playing XI. With Ravindra Jadeja injured, India may prefer Pant over Karthik as he is a left-handed batter.

Karthik, who has been roped in for the role of ‘finisher’, would be hoping for substantial game time over the next two weeks. Deepak Hooda would score big if the clarity is given on his role in the team. Fans expect India to begin with a win in the series opener by finalizing the middle-order batting combination.