India's T20 World Cup countdown begins against champions Australia

Rohit Sharma's India are expected to know exactly where they stand in T20 cricket when they take on world champions Australia in a three-match series that begins in Mohali on Tuesday.

After a frustrating Asia Cup in the UAE, where they failed to make it to the final, India face more questions about the make-up of their playing XI, with the fitness of key T20 players the biggest concern.

Virat Kohli returned to form in sensational style in the UAE, cracking his first T20 and 71st international century. Captain Sharma showed positive intent in the four games he played, but the rest of the batsmen blew hot and cold on difficult surfaces while batting first.

Captain Rohit said Kohli will be an option at the top of the order but clarified that KL Rahul, who struggled in the UAE, remained the first choice as his opening partner.

"It's always nice to have options available, it is very important when you go to a tournament like the World Cup. You want that flexibility," Sharma said. "It's an option for us, since we have not taken a third opener, he can obviously open.

"I don't think we are going to experiment a lot for that position. KL Rahul will play the World Cup and will be our opener."

Bowling was an even bigger concern in the absence of pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. The experienced Bhuvneshwar Kumar conceded 19 and 14 runs in the penultimate over of the chase during crunch games against Pakistan and Sri Lanka, which resulted in defeats and India's exit from the tournament.

Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and all-rounder Hardik Pandya were hit and miss, while the team also lost Ravindra Jadeja to a serious knee injury that also ruled him out of the World Cup.

India's Virat Kohli celebrates after scoring his 71st century