Raipur, November 6 — With the five-match T20I series evenly poised at 1-1, Team India aims to seize the advantage against a depleted Australian side in the fourth T20 International on Thursday in Raipur. All eyes will be on vice-captain Shubman Gill, who seeks to rediscover his touch after a string of low scores.
Australia, missing key players Josh Hazlewood and Travis Head, appears vulnerable as they struggle to maintain momentum. Head has been released to participate in the Sheffield Shield for Ashes preparation, while Hazlewood’s absence in the last game starkly reflected in Australia’s inability to defend a score of 186.
This encounter presents a golden opportunity for India to pull ahead 2-1 before the final match at the Gabba. The previous game highlighted India’s balanced team composition, showcasing how an all-rounder positioned at No. 8 provided vital depth in both batting and bowling.
However, Gill’s recent form raises concerns. The stylish right-hander has not scored a half-century in his last six innings, managing recent scores of just 10, 9, 24, 37*, 5, and 15. Though he demonstrated glimpses of rhythm during a partnership with captain Suryakumar Yadav in Canberra, he has largely struggled against fuller deliveries moving away from his reach.
On a positive note, opener Abhishek Sharma continues to impress and solidifies his reputation as the world’s No. 1 T20 batter. He contributed a fine half-century along with two quickfire starts in earlier matches.
Captain Yadav has also showcased flashes of brilliance in the first and third games and will be focused on converting his starts into a substantial innings before the team enjoys a month-long break ahead of the South Africa series.
The 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.
