India are fretting over the fitness of their skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (shoulder) and Smriti Mandhana (finger) ahead of the opening game.
Rajneesh Gupta throws up all the numbers of how both teams have fared in Twenty20 Internationals.
Pakistan head coach Muhammad Saqlain on Tuesday said India are not playing 'structural hockey' as the two arch rivals prepared for their clash in the ongoing Asian Champions Trophy hockey.
Just when you think you have seen enough of him, the genial goalkeeper from Kerala conjures up something special and leaves you pleasantly surprised.
'We cannot get complacent for a second with or without Virat. So we're going to have to be on our toes all summer and we're looking forward to that.'
Team India, despite all the hype and expectations, failed to beat Australia even once during the tour. On the contrary, the co-hosts, having already got the measure of their opponents in the Test matches and the tri-series, thrashed them in Sydney, abruptly ending the Men in Blue's World Cup defense. Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com looks at the lighter side of things.
India showed resilience to win T20 WC and celebrations told that story: VVS Laxman
There was a huge uproar in the Commonwealth Games gold medal match after Australia cricketer Tahlia McGrath was allowed to play the T20 final against India on Sunday despite testing positive for COVID-19.
A refreshed Nathan Lyon is expected to pose a serious threat to India later this summer, but the bowler himself is not certain about the resumption of cricket disrupted by the pandemic.
'I am learning how to finish games from Rinku as he is doing it consistently for India. I also want to do and hopefully in coming matches I will be doing that.'
Former opener Gary Kirsten says South Africa know how to beat Australia in their own backyard in the upcoming three-match Test series Down Under.
India would look to finalise their batting order for the tournament-proper when they take on Australia in their second and final warm-up game in Dubai on Wednesday.
Skipper Virat Kohli played a handy cameo after yet another impressive show by the bowling unit as India comfortably beat Australia by nine wickets in a rain-curtailed opening T20 International, in Ranchi, on Saturday.
Board of Control for Cricket in India secretary Jay Shah paid tribute to Virat Kohli on his 'tremendous tenure' after he stepped down as India's Test captain on Saturday.
There was no fan fare at the airport as the players quietly departed for their homes from the airport.
USA's sparkling debut, Afghan bravehearts' dream run and India's brilliance
The threat of rain looms large over the contest between the tournament's only two unbeaten teams.
Ahead of the high-octane clash, here are some key players to look out for:
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek of Poland faces Irina-Camella Begu of Romania in the opening round of the women's draw with second-seeded American Coco Gauff taking on Australian Ajla Tomljanovic.
India captain Rohit Sharma admitted that death bowling remains an area of concern for the team going into next month's T20 World Cup but hoped that the bowlers will find their groove soon.
Sandeep Michael's brace gave India a 4-3 victory in the Hockey Australia Men's Challenge.
Australia will need to defy history to chase down the total and survive the wiles of Ravichandran Ashwin on a fifth day pitch.
Former Pakistan captain and batting great Muhammad Yousuf reckons that even the current Pakistan team could have beaten Australia in a Test series.
The South Africa series in that context is the last big international T20 series that India play followed by one against Afghanistan in mid-January.
Team India beat England by 95 runs in the second Test at Lord's. It's the first overseas Test win for MS Dhoni and Co. since they beat West Indies at Sabina Park, Jamaica, in July 2011.
'If he loses his place in the ODI side, I don't know where it puts him, in terms of the India team in all 3 formats.'
Chahal is 33 and Bishnoi is 23, but the latter getting as much or more game time in T20Is
Sri Lanka, who are third in the WTC rankings behind already qualified Australia and India, will need to beat New Zealand 2-0.
South African great AB de Villiers believes India 'have a very good chance' of beating Australia in the upcoming away series notwithstanding their recent losses overseas.
Australian batters lacked intent and failed to play an aggressive brand of cricket against India's world class spinners, said former skipper Aaron Finch, adding they will need to bring a change in their mindset to be at the forefront.
Pressure is on India, Pakistan have nothing to lose: Shoaib Akhtar on India-Pakistan World Cup clash
A nerve-wracking semifinal win under their belt, Australia cannot wait for the World Cup summit clash against India in Ahmedabad on Sunday, said captain Pat Cummins.
Former Pakistan batsman and current Under-19 head coach Ejaz Ahmed feels that his side can beat defending champions and arch-rivals India in the forthcoming ICC Under-19 World Cup, beginning in South Africa on January 17. Ejaz, who has played 60 Test and 250 ODIs, was head coach of the Pakistan Emerging side which beat India before eventually winning the title in Bangladesh last year.
The Sri Lanka cricket team is going through a transition phase, struggling to replace stalwarts such as Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene.
The Mumbai batter lit the Chinnaswamy stadium with his brilliant batting.
Raina hailed Australia's mentality and talked about how their mindset makes them a tough opposition to face, especially in the final.
Australia beat India by six wickets to win their 6th ICC World Cup title.
Pakistan's most capped player Inzamam-ul-Haq wants to see the national team create history in the forthcoming Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand by defeating arch-rivals India in the opening match in Adelaide.
It is also understood that the board is quite happy with the way Dravid has managed the team along with captain Rohit over the last two years despite not landing any global trophies.
Ravi Shastri considers his 18-month stint as the Indian cricket team's Director the "most cherished and memorable phase" of his life but does not want to comment on whether he would seek a contract renewal. "I have no doubt in my mind that these are the best 18 months that I have spent during my association with Indian cricket as a player and then as a Team Director. It has been the most memorable phase of my life if I just look back at what we achieved as a team during this phase. Credit to the boys for making it special," Shastri told PTI when asked about his stint with the Indian team. Asked if he would apply for the Chief Coach's post for which BCCI will be advertising, Shastri gave a typical tongue-in-cheek reply. "I will only apply for accreditation of the IPL final," Shastri quipped.
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