T20I tri-series: All you need to know

The fixtures

First T20I Australia v India, Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, March 22. Live Coverage

Second T20I Australia v England, Brabourne Stadium, March 23. Live Coverage

Third T20I India v England, Brabourne Stadium, March 25. Live Coverage

Fourth T20I Australia v India, Brabourne Stadium, March 26. Live Coverage

Fifth T20I Australia v England, Brabourne Stadium, March 28. Live Coverage

Sixth T20I India v England, Brabourne Stadium, March 29. Live Coverage

Final Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, March 31. Live Coverage

The squads

Australia T20 squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Naomi Stalenberg, Elyse Villani, Amanda-Jade Wellington

India T20I squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Mithali Raj, Veda Krishnamurthy, Jemimah Rodrigues, Anuja Patil, Deepti Sharma, Taniya Bhatia, Poonam Yadav, Ekta Bisht, Jhulan Goswami, Shikha Pandey, Pooja Vastrakar, Rumeli Dhar, Mona Meshram

England T20I squad: Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Kate Cross, Alice Davidson-Richards, Sophie Ecclestone, Tash Farrant, Katie George, Jenny Gunn, Alex Hartley, Danielle Hazell, Amy Jones, Anya Shrubsole, Bryony Smith, Nat Sciver, Fran Wilson, Danni Wyatt

Form Guide

Australia are coming off an emphatic 3-0 series whitewash against India, where they outclassed the hosts in all three matches. They haven’t played a T20I since the multi-format Ashes last November, where they lost to England 2-1. The Southern Stars retained the Ashes, with points level on eight apiece at the end of the final T20I, but Australia believe they should have walked away outright winners and are determined to turn around a recent poor run in T20 series.

India struggled in the ODIs against Australia but produced a strong showing in a T20I series against South Africa last month, defeating the hosts 3-1 with veteran batter Mithali Raj named player of the series. And while they couldn’t upset Australia in the 50-over game, they did knock over Meg Lanning’s team the last time they met in the shortest format two years ago – on Australian soil no less – claiming an historic 2-1 T20 series victory.

England haven’t played a match since the Ashes in Australia, but will draw confidence from the way they finished off that series in the T20s. However, they will be without two of their biggest stars, star quick with Katherine Brunt sidelined with a back injury she picked up during the Rebel WBBL, while wicketkeeper Sarah Taylor has been rested. The series is also the first time England will meet India since claiming a fighting win in the 50-over World Cup final at Lord’s, with plenty of feeling expected when the teams clash for the first time on March 25.

Key Players

Beth Mooney was crowned the ICC T20I Player of the Year after her stunning knocks of 87no and 117no in last November’s Ashes. It was a breakthrough series for the 24-year-old Queenslander, who had a point to prove after being dropped from Australia’s ODI XI. Those performances, and her Rebel WBBL form, were enough to earn a one-day recall against India last week, where she posted rapid-fire knocks of 56 and 34no coming in at No.6 late in the innings.

Dani Wyatt also produced a breakthrough series against Australia in the T20I leg of the Ashes. Having sat on the sidelines throughout the tournament, she scored a fighting fifty in the first T20I and was subsequently elevated to opener, where she scored a match-winning 100 in the final match of the series. It’s the sort of series the talented 26-year-old had long hinted at in domestic competitions, so now England will be eager to see her build on those knocks.

Jhulan Goswami, India’s pace legend, missed the ODI series due to a bruised heel but was back at full training in the Mumbai nets on Tuesday and appears set to resume her place in the hosts’ line-up. Her fast-bowling prowess was sorely missed in that 50-over series and India captain Harmanpreet Kaur will be desperately hoping the 35-year-old, who was in outstanding form against South Africa last month prior to her injury, can have a major impact on her return.

The World T20 factor

While Australia’s short-term goal is on making and then winning the tri-series final on March 31, all three teams are also eyeing a longer-term objective: the ICC World T20 tournament in the Caribbean this November.

Australia need to find consistency in the 20-over game after a run of T20I series defeats across the last two years, while England have named three uncapped players in their squad as they assess new talent and rest stars Katherine Brunt and Sarah Taylor. For India, the series is crucial match practice against two higher-ranked teams as they look to recreate – or better – their efforts from last year’s 50-over World Cup, which saw them finish runners-up to hosts England.

How to Watch

Viewers in Australia fortunate enough to have a subscription to Fox Sports will be able to watch the T20I tri-series series on Foxtel. All four Australian matches will be broadcast live and in HD, while there will also be coverage of the two India v England fixtures. There will be no free-to-air broadcast with the BCCI selling the Australian broadcast rights to Fox Sports.

For those who can’t watch, you will be able to follow the live scores on cricket.com.au and the Cricket Australia Live App.

Cricket.com.au will also be producing highlights, reports and behind-the-scenes content throughout the series, and keep an eye on the Southern Stars Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts for exclusive insights into life on tour with the Australian team.

Commonwealth Bank Tour of India

Warm-up match Australia beat India A by 321 runs. Report

Warm-up match Australia beat India A by seven wickets. Report

ODI series

First ODI Australia won by eight wickets. Scorecard

Second ODI Australia won by 60 runs. Scorecard

Third ODI Australia won by 97 runs. Scorecard