What you need to know ahead of England's IT20 tri-series against Australia and India

England begin their IT20 tri-series against Australia tomorrow, in the first of four fixtures at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.

Australia got their campaign off to a winning start over India today – but how will tomorrow’s game go and what does this series mean for Mark Robinson and his England team?

All change

Mark Robinson spoke candidly with the press ahead of this trip, stating that if England continue doing what they’ve been doing in IT20 cricket then they won’t win the ICC Women’s World T20 later this year in the Caribbean.

As such he’s introduced some new faces and left some more established names at home. Bryony Smith, Katie George and Alice Davidson-Richards all impressed across the two warm-up games and could all get their go tomorrow.

Similarly Kate Cross, Tash Farrant and Amy Jones have had to be patient – but are now firmly back in the mix and could return tomorrow.

Balance?

Mark Robinson has a number of decisions to make, not least because the balance of the side is so affected by the absence of Katherine Brunt – such an influence with both bat and ball.

Anya Shrubsole will also miss tomorrow’s game, after sustaining a mild sprain to her right shoulder in England’s final warm-up game, so the seam department in particular will have a different look to it.

The absence of Brunt, Taylor and Shrubsole will mean a very different England side, one that will be desperate to show what it can do.

The best of enemies

England and Australia have played each other very regularly across the last four months, with the 8-8 Ashes draw still fresh in the memory.

Although the urn ended up staying in Australia, England grabbed the momentum by the end of the series with a stunning comeback in the IT20s.

Since then we’ve had the Women's Big Bash League and with that the chance for players from both teams to get to know each other that bit better.

Does a team take confidence from knowing the opposition’s weaknesses so well? Or do they get hung up on the opposition knowing theirs?

The key roles

There is a group within this England team who have stood out over the last 18 months. The slight rejigging to this squad also shows that there are one or two positions that need filling.

Robinson wants a bit more thrust at the top of the order and a lower-middle-order hitter, as well as some variety in the attack.

All three roles could be filled by England’s new faces, with Smith at the top, Davidson-Richards trying to find the boundary late on in the innings and George offering left-arm pace.

There are others in the squad who’ll want to make those roles theirs as well so look out for some World T20 auditions over this tournament and the summer ahead.

A big audience

A tri-series involving Australia, England and India – with the England leg of the ODIs out of the ICC Women’s Championship – is proof of the continued growth of women’s cricket.

Crowds in Baroda were very impressive, and while the same isn’t expected of Mumbai (cricket lovers in Mumbai aren’t short of opportunities to watch cricket) each game will be broadcast live on Star Sports in India.

Sadly the growth of the game means that matches that could once be streamed for free in other regions now have a value that prevents that from being possible – so followers in the UK will be unable to watch the game live.

Keep up to date with events on ecb.co.uk and on our social media channels.

England squad

Heather Knight (Berkshire, captain)  
Tammy Beaumont (Kent) 
Kate Cross (Lancashire) 
Alice Davidson-Richards (Kent)  
Sophie Ecclestone (Lancashire) 
Tash Farrant (Kent)  
Katie George (Hampshire)  
Jenny Gunn (Warwickshire)  
Alex Hartley (Lancashire) 
Danielle Hazell (Yorkshire) 
Amy Jones (Warwickshire, wicketkeeper) 
Anya Shrubsole (Somerset) 
Bryony Smith (Surrey) 
Nat Sciver (Surrey) 
Fran Wilson (Middlesex) 
Danni Wyatt (Sussex) 

Schedule

22 March – 1st IT20: India v Australia, Mumbai
23 March – 2nd IT20: Australia v England, Mumbai
25 March – 3rd IT20: India v England, Mumbai
26 March – 4th IT20: India v Australia, Mumbai
28 March – 5th IT20: Australia v England, Mumbai
29 March – 6th IT20: India v England, Mumbai
31 March – Final: Mumbai
6 April – 1st ODI: India v England Nagpur
9 April – 2nd ODI: India v England, Nagpur
12 April – 3rd ODI: India v England, Nagpur