All eyes on Lee
Twenty20 
/ Andy Morris / 12 January 2011 / Leave a comment Bet Now View Market
Even the odds seem to suggest that, as Australia go in at 1.95, while England have been offered the odds of 2.02 to make it 1-0.
The Ashes are done and dusted, and after the storm of another Australian loss in the series comes the relative calm of T20 cricket. Andy Morris assesses the game ahead.
England take on Australia in the first of the two T20Is to be played at the Adelaide Oval at Adelaide and the contest could be much more even than the Test series.
Even the odds seem to suggest that, as Australia go in at 1.95, while England have been offered the odds of 2.02 to make it 1-0.
The Australian selectors have named a 12-member squad only for the two T20Is. This will mean that there should be relative continuity for them in the series, but one also gets the sense they could be lacking in a batsman in the middle-order. Steven Smith has yet to prove himself in this format of the game and that is where the Aussies could struggle.
Michael Hussey has been rested while Michael Clarke has announced his retirement from this format to concentrate on other formats of the game. This leaves the captaincy in the hands of Cameron White, while Aaron Finch has been chosen in the middle-order.
All eyes will be on the return of Brett Lee, who will play in his first international after almost 18 months. He will partner Shaun Tait to give the Aussies a superb shot at ruffling the England top-order with a lot of pace.
Not that England is unprepared.
They were led to a win in the one-dayer against the Prime Minister's XI by Ian Bell and there can be little doubt that the tourists will come out all guns blazing. Steve Davies will replace Craig Kieswetter as the keeper and opening bat, while Eoin Morgan should also get a look-in after a superb performance in the World T20.
England could also be tempted to play Graeme Swann, but with a hectic schedule it will make more sense to rest him and get in Michael Yardy. There are five medium-pace bowlers in the line-up and captain Paul Collingwood will have his hands full in deciding which of them will make it to the final eleven at Adelaide.
A fighting first T20I is on the cards that one hopes will go down to the wire.
