The much-awaited T20 international series between Australia and India begin at one of Australia’s most picturesque yet underrated venues, the Manuka Oval in Canberra. Nestled in the heart of the capital, this 13,500-capacity ground isn’t one of the biggest grounds Down Under but is exciting for T20 action. Both batters and bowlers are going to have a say in the contest.

Manuka Oval history

Opened in 1929, the Manuka Oval was once an open park known as Manuka Circle Park before being enclosed to host formal sport. With its tree-lined boundary and vintage pavilion, it still carries that quaint, old-world Australian charm. The ground regularly hosts the Prime Minister’s XI fixture, a traditional clash between the Australian PM’s selected XI and visiting international teams.

As far as India is concerned, they have played four games (3 ODIs and 1 T20I) at Manuka Oval, winning two and losing the remaining games. The last time India played Australia here in a T20I was in 2020 when a three-fer from Yuzvendra Chahal won Men in Blue a tight contest.

The venue serves as home to the ACT Comets and doubles as a secondary home for the Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League (BBL). Ravichandran Ashwin’s first BBL side, Thunder’s squad often carries a strong spin-bowling core, and that tendency reflects in how teams approach this surface.

Manuka Oval Pitch Report

The Manuka pitch is known for offering true bounce and a good surface for stroke play. Batters generally find value for shots, but the square boundaries are longer than average, which keeps spinners and clever change-up bowlers in the game.

Over the years, moderate first innings scores have been the trend. The last ten T20s have seen an average first-innings total of 155.8 at a run rate of 7.82. While scores of 180+ have become more frequent in recent BBL seasons, Canberra’s chilly evenings and early-season freshness could assist seamers with swing and grip this time around.

Type	Wickets	Average	Eco	4W	5W
Pace	85	23.46	8.05	0	0
Spin	53	21.17	7.33	1	0

Spinners have a slightly better record here, helped by the wide outfield and a pitch that grips later in the night. Right-arm legspinners, in particular, have excelled, taking 26 wickets in the last 10 T20s at an average of 20.30 and an economy rate of 7.71.

History and T20I Records at Manuka Oval

Manuka Oval has hosted 22 T20 matches, and results have been evenly split, 10 won by teams batting first and 9 by teams chasing. The highest total recorded here is 195/3, while the average score batting first stands at 150.