Australia Opts to Bowl First Against India in 1st T20I at Canberra

Canberra, Oct 2025 : Australia captain Mitchell Marsh won the toss and opted to field first against India in the opening T20 International at the Manuka Oval on Tuesday.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed ahead of the match that all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has been ruled out of the first three T20Is. Reddy, who was recovering from a left quadriceps injury sustained during the second ODI in Adelaide, has now developed neck spasms, further affecting his recovery and mobility.

Speaking at the toss, Australian skipper Mitchell Marsh said his side preferred to chase on what looked like a good batting surface. “We would like to bowl first. It looks like a good surface. Every time we come here, the conditions are great, and the crowd is fantastic,” Marsh said. “Both teams have plenty of firepower. India are the number one side in the world, so we’re really looking forward to the challenge.
All teams are building towards the World Cup, and we’re excited to test ourselves against the best. We’ve gone in with a balanced side — a few batters, a few bowlers, and some all-rounders.”

India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav said he was also inclined to bat first, expecting the pitch to slow down as the match progresses. “We were looking to bat first. It looks like a good wicket, and from what our analyst says, not many games have been played here,” Suryakumar said. “The surface tends to get slower in the second innings. We’ve been here for 3–4 days preparing for the game. Though it’s been quite cold, the conditions look good today. We’re excited for a strong start to the series.”

He confirmed that Arshdeep Singh, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh, and Nitish Kumar Reddy were not part of the playing XI for the series opener.

Playing XIs:

India: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah

Australia: Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (c), Josh Inglis (wk), Tim David, Mitchell Owen, Marcus Stoinis, Josh Philippe, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Josh Hazlewood