Rain clouds Australia's WT20 opener

Australia's World Twenty20 opener could become a lottery if weather forecasts for Friday's clash in Dharamsala are accurate.

Rain caused havoc at picturesque HPCA Stadium, which features an amazing backdrop of the snow-capped Indian Himalayas, during last week's World T20 qualifying event.

Two matches were abandoned, while two others were shortened because of persistent downpours.

The India Meteorological Department is predicting "thunderstorm with rain" for Friday, when Australia face New Zealand at 3pm local time.

There were just six overs a side when Ireland and Netherlands played an abridged match at the venue last Sunday.

It was the shortest completed T20 international in the history of the format.

"You've just got to go with the flow. The shorter the game goes the more of a lottery it is really, depending on how things pan out," Shane Watson said.

"You can't really control what happens there.

"As long as we get back to our hotel in one piece that's a good result."

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Watson, who played in a rain-hit T20 match at Durban that lasted just 13.4 overs in total, was aware there was a genuine risk the game could become even more of a slogathon than usual.

"It's going to be interesting to see what happens. The forecast is not ideal, game day doesn't look great," the allrounder said.

"The forecast hasn't been great the last week either."

The trans-Tasman rivals would both collect a point if the match is called off without a result, further complicating the tightrope path to the semi-finals.

Regardless of whether the two sides fit in a full 40 overs, Watson expected the recent wet weather would have an impact on the pitch.

"The guys who have played here in the past (in the Indian Premier League) said that the wicket normally has a fair bit of pace and bounce," he said.

"The games that I've seen here (last week) ... the wicket has been a bit slow and turned.

"It seems like there's been a fair bit of moisture around.

"Seems like the turn has had a fair bit to do with the moisture in the wicket."

NZ will hope it is a sharp-turning pitch given their three tweakers rattled World T20 favourites India in a tournament-opening boilover.