India look to fight back strong against Australia in the fourth T20I
Team India will be disappointed after their performance in the third T20I that was played on Tuesday at Guwahati. While the batters did their job by giving a formidable total of 222 to defend, the bowlers were not up to mark as they bleeded runs. If India would have won that match, they would have sealed the five-match T20I series. However, Australia with that five-wicket win in the third T20I has kept the series well and truly alive.
The fourth T20I between India and Australia will be played on December 1 at Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur.
Squads
India: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, 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.
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 3rd T20I?
Australia chased 223 in 20 overs and won the match by five wickets against India. Batting first, India piled up 222/3 in 20 overs, courtesy Ruturaj Gaikwad’s maiden international century (57-ball-123*), which was also the first by an Indian against Australia in T20Is. His valiant effort went in vain as the Indian bowlers failed to defend the target. Glenn Maxwell produced a blinder of an innings as he muscled an unbeaten 47-ball-104, which is among the fastest hundreds by an Australian in T20Is. Maxwell single-handedly carried his team to an emphatic win.
Players to watch out for
Ruturaj Gaikwad: The right-handed opening batter of India hit his first international century in his 21st appearance. In the third T20I against Australia, the 26-year-old Maharashtra batter packed a punch with a 57-ball 123, peppering the boundary rope 20 times. Of the team’s total of 222, he scored more than half of the runs.
Ravi Bishnoi: India’s leg spinner was the most successful bowler for his team with 32/2 in his spell of four overs in the third T20I against Australia. Besides being the highest wicket-taker in the match, he was the most economical bowler. He varied his pace and used his myriad variations from his rich repertoire brilliantly.
Glenn Maxwell: The Australian all-rounder smashed an unconquered 104 off just 47 balls, including eight fours and as many sixes in the third T20I against India. Batting at number four, this right-hander guided his team to a five-wicket win. Though he went for 30 runs in the last over of the innings, which was the only over he bowled, he compensated for that completely with his batting masterclass.
Travis Head: This left-handed opening batter of Australia set the tone for the 223-run mammoth run chase in the third T20I against India. He plummeted 35 off 18, striking eight fours. The southpaw demoralised the Indian bowlers with his aggressive intent and gave India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav a lot to ponder about.
Pitch
Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur will host India and Australia for the fourth T20I. It will be the first T20I to be played on this ground. Early this year, the venue hosted an ODI between India and New Zealand, which India won by eight wickets chasing 109. Expect a sporting wicket that will offer assistance to batters and bowlers.
Weather
The weather is expected to be hazy. The temperature will be around 19 Degrees Celsius in the evening. There is a 5% chance of rain. Cloud cover will be 7%. The winds will blow from the north-east.
Match details
Date: December 1, 2023
Time: 7:00 PM
Venue: Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur
Streaming: Sports18, Colors Cineplex, and JioCinema app