India and Australia are set to meet in a high-octane five-match T20I series Down Under, starting Wednesday, and former national team assistant coach Abhishek Nayar has zeroed in on the key mini-contest for the first set of matches. Nayar picked India opener Abhishek Sharma to continue his swashbuckling form and neutralise Australia seam spearhead Josh Hazlewood, who recently troubled with match-winning spells in the ODI series.
The left-handed Abhishek has been in dazzling form for India this year in T20Is and led the batting charts in the Asia Cup. In only 23 innings for the Men in Blue, the Punjab batter has pulverised oppositions with a jaw-dropping 196.07 strike rate.
“If Abhishek Sharma is in form, Hazlewood will be out of form. The way he bats, he is known to hit the first ball for a four or a six. If you instil fear in the powerplay, it continues throughout the innings. That is Abhishek Sharma’s impact on the game. If he bats six overs, India will score between 60 to 80. It will ease the pressure for his batting partner, while it will increase for the opposition,” said Nayar.
Nayar was also aware of the challenges that Hazlewood presented to Sharma in nippy and bouncy conditions.
“It will be a big test for him, especially against Hazlewood, who is in good rhythm and extracting extra bounce. However, I feel that he has got enough experience by playing in the IPL and in South Africa.”
“He (Abhishek) has a fearless mindset and will want to make a name for himself in Australia. This is a good chance for him, as it is very satisfying to earn respect in Australia. From how much I know him, he would want to make a name for himself here,” remarked Nayar.
While Sharma is marked to set the tone for India, it is worth noting that Hazlewood will only be available for the first two games of the series before being rested ahead of the Ashes Tests, starting November 21.
