Raipur, November 6 — With the five-match T20I series evenly poised at 1-1, Team India gears up to seize the advantage when they face a depleted Australian side in the fourth T20 International here on Thursday. All eyes will turn to 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 — appears vulnerable as they struggle to maintain momentum. Head has been released to play the Sheffield Shield, preparing for the upcoming Ashes, while Hazlewood’s absence in the last game highlighted Australia’s inability to defend 186 runs.
For India, this encounter presents a golden opportunity to go 2-1 up before the final match at the Gabba, potentially wrapping up the series. In the previous game, India’s team combination looked more balanced, showcasing an all-rounder positioned at No. 8 that provided depth in both batting and bowling departments.
Despite this positive outlook, Gill’s form remains a concern for the Indian camp. The stylish right-hander has gone six innings without a half-century, with recent scores of 10, 9, 24, 37*, 5, and 15. Although he displayed glimpses of rhythm during a partnership with captain Suryakumar Yadav in Canberra, Gill has largely struggled against fuller deliveries moving away from him.
On a more encouraging note, opener Abhishek Sharma continues to impress, solidifying his reputation as the world’s No. 1 T20 batter with a fine half-century and two energetic starts in recent encounters.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav has also showcased flashes of brilliance in the first and third games, looking to convert his starts into a substantial innings before the team embarks on 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.
