Australia are cricket’s pre-eminent side in all formats but Twenty20 and you do not need to have just tuned in to their last five games (all lost) to know this. No the truth of their performance in Twenty20 was articulated by Shane Watson after a chastening 3-0 series loss to India at home: they have simply never known their best XI in the format and even if they have, have not stuck with it long enough.
As if to prove him right, days later Australia announced a squad that included three men who will likely make their format debuts at the World Twenty20. Oh, and they changed the captain too. Whatever the squad they will be competitive but there is a reason why this is the only major title to elude them; in Indian conditions, where their difficulties against spin will take a toll and they will be without the injured Mitchell Starc, it is likely to continue doing so.
Group 2
Coach: Darren Lehmann
Tournament best: semi-finals in 2007, 2012
Match-winner: Glenn Maxwell
• He must feel right at home in India given how much of a fixture he is in the Indian Premier League (IPL). And Australia will need not only his big-hitting on these surfaces but also his game-intelligence. They will lean heavily on his off-spin as well.
New face: Ashton Agar
• Remember Ashton Agar? Of course you do, he scored 98 on Test debut as last man in the batting order in the 2013 Ashes, even though he was selected as a left-arm spinner. He disappeared then but is now back as a surprise inclusion in this squad.
Key match: Australia v India, Mohali, March 27l.
Predicted finish: Group stage
Squad: Steven Smith (captain), David Warner, Ashton Agar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, John Hastings, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Peter Nevill, Andrew Tye, Shane Watson, Adam Zampa
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