Raipur, November 6 — Team India prepares to face a depleted Australian squad in the fourth T20 International on Thursday, aiming to take a decisive lead in the five-match series, currently tied at 1-1. The spotlight remains on vice-captain Shubman Gill, who is keen to return to form after struggling with his recent performances.
Australia’s lineup lacks two key players, Josh Hazlewood and Travis Head, making them appear vulnerable. Head heads back to participate in the Sheffield Shield, aiming to gear up for the Ashes, while Hazlewood’s absence during the last match hampered Australia’s bowling, failing to defend a total of 186.
This match presents India with a critical opportunity to go 2-1 up before the series finale at the Gabba. In their previous encounter, India struck a more balanced squad by placing an all-rounder at No. 8 to enhance depth in both batting and bowling departments.
However, Gill’s form raises concerns, as he has not secured a half-century in his last six games, with scores noting a downtrend at 10, 9, 24, 37*, 5, and 15. Although he showcased moments of brilliance during a partnership with captain Suryakumar Yadav in Canberra, he has struggled against deliveries that move away from him.
Conversely, opener Abhishek Sharma has maintained exciting momentum, confirming his place as the world’s No. 1 T20 batter with an impressive half-century, alongside two solid starts. Meanwhile, Suryakumar Yadav has delivered impressive performances in the first and third games, aiming to transform his promising starts into substantial innings. He knows it is crucial to build momentum before facing South Africa in the upcoming series.
With the match set to begin at 1:45 PM IST, both teams look to assert their dominance.
Teams:
- India: 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: 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.
