Analysis for the match.

It’s difficult to see Melbourne Renegades making a huge improvement on last season when considering the absences of key players that they must deal with ahead of this match. Their batting does look fragile, with so much dependant on opener and Australian limited overs captain Finch, who struggled badly in last year’s BBL. Ultimately, the expectation is that a very strong and experienced Adelaide Strikers’ bowling attack should be afforded plenty of joy here against the Renegades and ultimately lead the Strikers to victory in their opening game of the tournament.

Must see points.

1). Melbourne Renegades have experience available right through their lineup and that could be a considerable factor, especially in crunch situations

2). Adelaide Strikers are likely to be playing without two of their biggest players in Travis Head and Alex Carey

3). Melbourne Renegades are playing at their home turf, which is certainly a big factor in the early stages of the competition

Head to Head 

Overall>>

Total Matches - 14

Melbourne Renegades - 5

Adelaide Strikers - 9

N/R - 0

At Docklands Stadium>>

Total Matches - 5

Melbourne Renegades - 1

Adelaide Strikers - 4

N/R - 0

Match Prediction: Adelaide Strikers to win the match.

1). If MLR won the toss and opted to bowl first, ADS could score 155-175 runs.

2). If ADS won the toss and opted to bowl first, MLR could score 145-165 runs.

Secondary Predictions.

1). Aaron Finch total runs - Over 24.5 runs.

T20 World Cup winning captain Aaron Finch is our pick for Melbourne Renegades’ highest run scorer in this match. His form improved during the world cup and he is a fine white ball batter.

2). Jake Weatherald total runs - Over 18.5 runs.

Jake Weatherald produced very consistent scores with the bat during the campaign last year and is well worth backing as Adeaide Strikers’ highest run scorer against Melbourne Renegades.

3). Rashid Khan to be the top bowler for Adelaide Strikers.

Rashid Khan causes problems across the globe in T20 competitions. The leg-spinner is our tip for Adelaide Strikers’ top wicket taker against Melbourne Renegades.

Match Preview.

Coming off a poor run in the last season, there is a lot that Melbourne Renegades will be looking to change. For starters, they have brought about a change in their leadership as Aaron Finch has stepped down from the captaincy. Even though he had not been in the form he is known for, his experience with the World Cup winning squad as a skipper could have come in handy. Having said that, Nic Maddinson is set to replace him as the skipper and he isn't a bad choice at all.

With captaincy no longer a burden to take, we might well see Aaron Finch being the monster with the bat he was once known for. He is the second-highest run scorer in the history of the competition and his role at the top is going to be crucial for the men in red. Apart from him, the Renegades have the availability of Shaun Marsh, as far as the experience with the bat is concerned. He had a good run last year and would be looking to better it this time around.

The most surprising signing, which could also prove to be a game-changing one, is that of Unmukt Chand. He may not be like a regular routine signing, but has certainly turned the heads. His experience of playing in the Indian leagues can be handy and it will be interesting to see how well he can get acquainted with the conditions down-under.

With the likes of James Pattinson and Kane Richardson available to take care of the bowling department, Melbourne Renegades have it pretty much covered. Besides, the Aussie pair have plenty of support options available in Will Sutherland, Jack Prestwidge, Mohammad Nabi, and Reece Topley as front-line bowlers. Having said that, this is a lineup that has struggled with injuries in the past and we are likely to see that again in this tournament.

Just like the Renegades, Adelaide Strikers have won the competition only once, but they have managed to come close a lot more times. They got into the playoffs last year only to get knocked out in the Eliminator a Brisbane Heat knocked them out with a six-wicket win. Led by Travis Head, Adelaide Strikers have a good number of T20 starts available at their disposal.

The biggest challenge for the Strikers will be to play under different skippers, which indeed seems to be a big possibility. Travis Head is in the reckoning to be in the starting XI for the 1st Ashes Test and his absence could open up a massive gap to fill for the Strikers. Strikers would have hoped for Alex Carey to fill in Head's boots, but Carey too is likely to be the first starter in Tim Paine's absence.

The biggest strength of the Strikers is undoubtedly their overseas star in Rashid Khan, who has been the most successful overseas bowler ever in the history of the competition. Apart from him, George Garton is available to try his exploits after a rather unproductive season in the Indian Premier League. He would be looking to make a mark in the competition with IPL's mega-auction coming up soon.

Even without the likes of Travis Head and Alex Carey, the Strikers seem to be having a formidable unit. Their bowling unit is packed decently enough with Wes Agar, Peter Siddle, and Rashid Khan available to lead. The absence of Michael Neser, however, could prove to be decisive. With the bat, the Strikers have the services of Jake Weatherald and Matt Renshaw, who both would need to step up in the absence of Carey and Head. Besides, Strikers lack a specialist finisher and will rely heavily on Rashid Khan to do justice to that incredibly difficult role.

Match details.

Time - Dec 07th, 01:45 pm, IST.

Venue - Docklands Stadium, Melbourne, Australia.

Pitch reports.

The pitch at the Docklands Stadium is generally an excellent one for batting. Chasing should be the way forward. The bowlers need to work out of their skin to restrict the batters. The spinners may extract a bit from the surface.

Team News.

Melbourne Renegades>>

The Renegades have got some new arrivals this year to breathe life into a team who were very low on confidence throughout last season’s tournament. Jono Merlo has signed from city rivals Melbourne Stars and we expect to see him in the XI for this game of BBL 2021-2022. In spite of a very disappointing season, Melbourne Renegades finished their last BBL campaign with two wins from three games.

Possible XI -  Aaron Finch, Mackenzie Harvey, Jake Fraser McGurk, Sam Harper, Mohammad Nabi, James Pattinson, Mitch Perry, Cameron Boyce, Kane Richardson, Josh Lalor, Will Sutherland

Adelaide Strikers>>

The Strikers are missing Travis Head and Alex Carey on international duty. Both are very important players who fulfil the roles of captain and keeper batter. George Garton has arrived from England for this season’s BBL and will be a useful addition with bat and ball.Adelaide Strikers ended last season with successive defeats but will be ready to start this season with a clean slate.

Possible XI - Matt Renshaw, Jake Weatherald, Ryan Gibson/Liam Scott, Matthew Short, Jonathan Wells, Harry Nielsen, Wes Agar, Fawad Ahmed, Rashid Khan, Peter Siddle, Daniel Worrall