Raipur, November 6 — As the five-match T20I series stands evenly poised at 1-1, Team India prepares to seize the advantage against a depleted Australian side in the fourth T20 International on Thursday. The match will start at 1:45 PM IST, and all eyes will be on vice-captain Shubman Gill, who aims to rediscover his batting form after struggling through the tour.
Australia’s challenges deepen with the absence of two key players — Josh Hazlewood and Travis Head. Hazlewood missed the last game, weakening Australia’s bowling attack, while Head has been released to participate in the Sheffield Shield, sharpening his skills ahead of the Ashes.
The current conditions present India with a golden opportunity to take a 2-1 lead in the series before heading to the final match at the Gabba. In their last encounter, India demonstrated a balanced team combination, providing depth in both batting and bowling with an all-rounder positioned at No. 8.
However, Shubman Gill’s recent form raises concerns. Over the last six innings, he hasn’t scored a half-century, tallying scores of 10, 9, 24, 37*, 5, and 15. Although he showed some rhythm while partnering with captain Suryakumar Yadav in Canberra, Gill has struggled against deliveries moving away from him.
On a positive note, opener Abhishek Sharma continues to impress, maintaining his position as the world’s No. 1 T20 batter. He notched a fine half-century recently, alongside two brisk starts that have set a solid foundation for India.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav also displayed flashes of brilliance in the first and third matches. He seeks to transform his promising starts into substantial contributions before India takes a month-long break ahead of the South Africa series.
This match marks a crucial point in the series, and the Indian players must capitalize on Australia’s vulnerabilities. Coach Rahul Dravid’s strategies will play a vital role in determining the team’s success in this competitive environment.
India’s Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill (VC), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson (WK), Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar.
Australia’s Squad: Mitchell Marsh (C), Matthew Short, Josh Inglis (WK), Josh Phillippe (WK), Mitchell Owen, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Kuhnemann, Adam Zampa, Mahli Beardman, Ben Dwarshuis, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Marcus Stoinis.