India eye T20I series win against Australia
In the ongoing five match T20I series between India and Australia, India have registered two wins in the first two matches. The batters have piled up runs and the bowlers have defended well. Suryakumar Yadav, who is leading team India for the first time, has exhibited good leadership skills. Going into the third game, that will be played on November 28 at Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati, India will fancy their chances of sealing the series.
Squads
India: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad (vice-captain), Ishan Kishan, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Shivam Dubey, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar.
(Shreyas Iyer will join the squad for the last two T20Is and take on the role of vice-captain)
Australia: Matthew Wade (captain), Aaron Hardie, Jason Behrendorff, Sean Abbott, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Kane Richardson, Adam Zampa
What happened in the 2nd T20I?
Riding on half centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Ishan Kishan, India posted a daunting total of 235 in 20 overs and won the match by 44 runs on Sunday at Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthpuram. Expecting dew in the second innings, Australia’s captain Matthew Wade decided to bowl first after winning the toss. Picking up from where they left in the first T20I, the top three Indian batters took Australian bowlers to cleaners. Rinku Singh’s 9-ball 31 provided the perfect end to India’s happy batting story. Besides Nathan Ellis (3 wickets), who had atleast a few questions to ask to the Indian batters, none of the other Australian bowlers could impress. Unlike India who went off to a flying start, Australia struggled at 58/4 before Marcus Stoinis (45), Tim David (37), and Wade (42*) did some repair work. Prasidh Krishna and Ravi Bishnoi were outstanding with three wickets apiece.
Players to watch out for
Yashasvi Jaiswal: The 21-year-old Mumbai batter was at his best in the second T20I against Australia as he smashed a 25-ball 53, including nine fours and two sixes. He stitched a 77-run partnership in 5.5 overs with his opening partner Ruturaj Gaikwad to give a perfect start to India’s batting.
Ravi Bishnoi: Bowling inside the powerplay, India’s leg spinner showed a lot of bravery. He reaped rich dividends as he struck in his first and second overs of the spell. He got rid of Matthew Short and Josh Inglis, who scored a century in the first T20I.
Marcus Stoinis: The Australian all-rounder made notable contributions with bat and ball in the second T20I. He top-scored with a 25-ball 45, including two fours and four sixes. He also opened the bowling and claimed 27/1 in three overs.
Nathan Ellis: This 29-year-old right arm speedster of Australia was the most successful bowler for his team in the second T20I as he snapped 45/3 in four overs. He picked wickets inside the powerplay and also in the death overs.
Pitch
Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati will host India and Australia for the third T20I. It will be the third T20I played at this venue. The teams batting first and second have won one match apiece. The highest total scored here is 237 and the lowest is 118. Expect favourable conditions for batting. There could be dew in the second innings which would make batting even easier.
Weather
The weather is expected to be humid and see hazy sunshine. The maximum temperature attained during the day will be 28 Degrees Celsius. There is a 1% chance of rain. Cloud cover will be 8%. The winds will blow from the east-northeast.
Match details
Date: November 28, 2023
Time: 7:00 PM
Venue: Barspara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati
Streaming: Sports18, Colors Cineplex, and JioCinema app