Raipur, November 6 — With the five-match T20I series evenly poised at 1-1, Team India will look to seize the advantage when they face a depleted Australian side in the fourth T20 International here on Thursday. All eyes will be on vice-captain Shubman Gill, who is eager to rediscover his touch after a string of low scores during what has been an underwhelming tour so far.
Australia, missing two of their key players — Josh Hazlewood and Travis Head — appear vulnerable as they struggle to maintain momentum. Hazlewood’s absence in the last match was evident, with Australia unable to defend a competitive total of 186, signaling their need for strategic adjustments.
For India, this encounter presents a golden opportunity to go 2-1 up before the final match at the Gabba and potentially wrap up the series. In the previous game, India’s team combination looked more balanced, with an all-rounder positioned at No. 8 providing depth in both batting and bowling.
However, Gill’s form remains a concern. The stylish right-hander has gone six innings without a half-century, recording recent scores of 10, 9, 24, 37*, 5, and 15. Although he displayed flashes of rhythm during a partnership with captain Suryakumar Yadav in Canberra, he has largely struggled against fuller deliveries moving away from him.
On the brighter side, opener Abhishek Sharma continues to impress, living up to his reputation as the world’s No. 1 T20 batter with a solid half-century and two quick starts in the previous matches. His performance boosts the team’s confidence as they aim for a crucial victory.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav has also shown glimpses of brilliance in the first and third games. He will be eager to convert his promising starts into a significant innings before the team heads into a month-long break ahead of the South Africa series.
Match starts at 1:45 PM IST.
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.
