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Australia's road to the World T20, so far

We take a look at Australia's recent record in the shortest format of the game in the lead-up to the 2016 ICC World Twenty20 beginning in March

Australia’s form going into the 2016 ICC World T20 in India next month is difficult to read considering they have only played eight matches since the last edition of the showpiece event.

Due to a combination of injuries, resting key players, form changes over time and a bit of experimentation, a staggering 33 different players have pulled on an Australia T20 shirt in the past 18 months.

Not a single player has played in all eight of the T20 games and only Watson and leg-spinner Cameron Boyce, who wasn’t picked in Australia’s World T20 squad, have played in seven of the matches.

Watson tops the run-scorers list for the period, hitting 241 runs at 40, closely followed by former T20 captain Aaron Finch with 214 runs at 43. The man who replaced him, Steve Smith (114 at 38 from three T20Is) is the only other player to have scored over 100 runs and owns the best strike-rate (156) for the period (minimum two games).

Quick Single: Watson confident he'll be fit for World T20

In the bowling department, Boyce and James Faulkner have each taken eight wickets at an average of less than 20.

In terms of economy-rate, injured quicks Pat Cummins (5.00) and Mitch Starc (6.12) lead the way (minimum two games) while Glenn Maxwell (6.21), Boyce (6.60) and Doug Bollinger (6.63) have all been miserly. Maxwell, through form and injury, is the only player on that list who has been named in Australia’s 2016 World T20 squad.

While Australia only won only three of the eight T20s they have played in the period since the last World T20, they have undoubtedly not fielded their first-choice XI in any fixture.

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Considering their well-documented struggles on spin-friendly wickets, Australia would be encouraged that the only match Australia played in Asia in the period – a one-off T20 against Pakistan on a turning Dubai pitch – they won convincingly.

Nonetheless, Australia have been disappointing in their last four T20 matches, losing away to England and at home to India this summer.

Below, we take a look back at all eight of the T20s Australia has played since the last World T20 tournament.

Game 1


v Pakistan, October 5, 2014 in Dubai

Result: Australia won by six wickets (with 36 balls remaining)

Australia XI: Aaron Finch (c), David Warner, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Phil Hughes, James Faulkner, Brad Haddin, Sean Abbott, Mitch Starc, Kane Richardson, Cameron Boyce

Australia kicked off their series against Pakistan in the UAE with a comprehensive victory in a one-off T20 in Dubai.

On a slow turning wicket, spinners Glenn Maxwell and Cameron Boyce took five wickets between them to see Pakistan limp to 9/96 from their 20 overs.

At 4/56 in the ninth over, Australia looked to be in trouble, but opener David Warner clocked three sixes in his 53 off 39 balls to safely guide his team home.

Image Id: ~/media/759922461DB348829C3DB28BDDCB5030 Image Caption: Warner led Australia to victory in the T20 against Pakistan // Getty

Game 2


v South Africa, November 5, 2014 in Adelaide

Result: South Africa won by seven wickets (with six balls remaining)

Australia XI: Aaron Finch (c), Cameron White, Shane Watson, Ben Dunk, Nathan Reardon, James Faulkner, Ben Cutting, Pat Cummins, Kane Richardson, Cameron Boyce, Doug Bollinger

WATCH: Rossouw blasts South Africa to victory

In a match more notable for who wasn’t playing than who was – Australia were without David Warner, Mitchell Johnson and Glenn Maxwell while Dale Steyn, AB de Villiers and regular T20 captain Faf du Plessis were missing from the South Africa side – the Proteas chased down the hosts’ modest total of 144 in the penultimate over.

Australia were well restricted by the South African bowlers with allrounders Shane Watson (47 off 36) and James Faulkner (41 not out off 33) the only bright spots in the hosts’ innings.

Despite a first over breakthrough courtesy of Doug Bollinger, Rilee Rossouw (78 from 50 balls) helped the tourists register victory in the first international game of the Australian summer. Pat Cummins, with 1/21 from four overs, was the pick of Australia’s bowlers.

Game 3


v South Africa, November 7 2014 in Melbourne

Result: Australia won by seven wickets (with 44 balls remaining)

Australia XI: Aaron Finch (c), Ben Dunk, Shane Watson, Glenn Maxwell, Cameron White, Nathan Reardon, James Faulkner, Pat Cummins, Sean Abbott, Cameron Boyce, Doug Bollinger

Led by a superb bowling performance, Australia levelled the series 1-1 with a resounding win in the second match of the KFC T20 INTL series at the MCG.

WATCH: Aussie might too much for South Africa

Maxwell was brought back into the hosts’ side after their loss in the previous match, but it was Faulkner (3-25 off four overs), Cameron Boyce (2-15 off four) and Cummins (1-11 off four) who restricted South Africa to 7-101 from their 20 overs.

Captain Aaron Finch hit eight boundaries on his way to a 30-ball 44 to help chase down the Proteas’ total in the 13th over.

Game 4


v South Africa, November 9 2014 in Sydney

Result: Australia won by two wickets (with one ball remaining)

Australia XI: Aaron Finch (c), Ben Dunk, Shane Watson, Nic Maddinson, Glenn Maxwell, Cameron White, James Faulkner, Pat Cummins, Sean Abbott, Cameron Boyce, Doug Bollinger

Cameron White hit an unbeaten 41 off 31 balls to lift Australia to an exciting final over win at Sydney’s Olympic Stadium.

South Africa raced to 0-75 in the ninth over but were pegged back by Australia’s bowlers with Faulkner, who would be named man of the series after the match, again leading the way with 3-28 off four overs, with the Proteas eventually finishing with 145.

The hosts lost regular wicket throughout their innings but White’s fighting knock guided Australia home with two wickets and one ball to spare in the third and final match of the series.

WATCH: White guides Australia home in a thriller

Game 5


v England, August 31 2015 in Cardiff

Result: England won by five runs

Australia XI: Steve Smith (c), Shane Watson, David Warner, Glenn Maxwell, Mitch Marsh, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, Mitch Starc, Cameron Boyce

An excellent final over from England allrounder Ben Stokes consigned Australia to defeat in a one-off T20 international wedged in between the Ashes and a subsequent ODI series.

WATCH: England prevail in T20 nail-biter

Fast-bowlers Mitch Starc, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Cummins all went at under eight runs an over but the rest of Australia’s bowlers went the journey as England posted a sizeable first-innings total of 182.

With his side reeling at 2-12 in the second over, Steve Smith, standing in as captain for the injured Finch, produced an amazing 53-ball 90 to confirm his status as a dominant player in all three formats of the game.

But aside from Maxwell (44 off 32), Smith received little support from his teammates and Stokes’ final over sealed an English victory.

Game 6


v India, January 26, 2016 in Adelaide

Result: Australia lost by 37 runs

Australia XI: Aaron Finch (c), David Warner, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Chris Lynn, Shane Watson, Matthew Wade, James Faulkner, Kane Richardson, Cameron Boyce, Shaun Tait

Firebrand Virat Kohli punished Australia’s bowlers to help India take a 1-0 lead in the KFC T20 INTL series in Australia earlier this summer.

Kohli smashed 11 boundaries, including two sixes, on the way to 90 from 55 balls as his side posted 188. Shane Watson was the pick of the Australia bowlers, finishing with 2-24 from his four overs.

WATCH: Kohli's unbeaten 90

At 0-47 after five overs, Australia were on track but when Warner fell in the final over of the powerplay, the home side fell behind the required run-rate and lost regular wickets to eventually be bowled out for 151 in the final over.

Game 7


v India, January 29, 2016 in Melbourne

Result: Australia lost by 27 runs

Australia XI: Aaron Finch (c), Shaun Marsh, Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, Shane Watson , Matthew Wade, James Faulkner, John Hastings, Andrew Tye, Scott Boland, Nathan Lyon.

The second match of the series followed a similar script to the first as India won convincingly to take an unassailable 2-0 series lead.

Kohli (59 not out off 33) again starred for the tourists after openers Rohit Sharma (60 off 47) and Shikar Dhawan (42 off 32) laid the platform for India. Debutant Andrew Tye (1-28 off four) was the pick of the bowlers for the home side.

Australia again got off to good start in their run-chase, reaching 94 in the 10th over but when Finch (74 off 48) was run out taking a quick single (tearing his hamstring in the process) in the 16th over, his side’s hopes of victory were extinguished, as Australia were bowled out for 157.

WATCH: Finch injures hamstring in second T20

Game 8


v India, January 31, 2016 in Sydney

Result: Australia lost by seven wickets

Australia XI: Shane Watson (c), Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Travis Head, Chris Lynn, Cameron Bancroft, Cameron Boyce, Andrew Tye, Scott Boland, Shaun Tait

With Finch out with injury and Steve Smith and David Warner already preparing for Australia’s ODI series in New Zealand, Shane Watson stood in as captain for the final T20 of the series.

If he found the role a burden, he didn’t show it as he smashed an incredible 124no to lead the hosts to an imposing total of 197.

The Indians were nonetheless up to the task, as Suresh Raina hit a four off the last ball of the match to help India seal a 3-0 clean sweep of the series. Boyce performed valiantly, taking 2-28 off his four overs and the leg-spinner would have had a third wicket but for a crucial missed stumping chance off Raina.

WATCH: India complete 3-0 clean-sweep of series