Carrara test awaits: India’s chance to take the lead

One team will go up in the series at the end of the fourth T20I in Carrara on Thursday, thus setting up the decider in Brisbane two days later. 

India’s five-wicket victory in Hobart leveled the score line at 1-1, and now Suryakumar Yadav and his team-mates will look at way to channel that good feeling into a series-leading result. 

To keep Australia to 186/6 in 20 overs when at one stage they looked set to touch 200 was good work. To chase down 187 with five wickets and nine balls remaining, without a single player getting to 50, was even better. Now India, ranked No 1 in T20Is, need to find way to iron out a few creases. 

Across three ODIs and three T20Is on tour, Shubman Gill has a highest of 37 not out. He may not be a natural fit in this current Indian T20Is team, but given the vice-captaincy, Gill has added responsibility to deliver. Each failure of his has increased criticism of his presence in the T20Is set up, considering how well Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson had fared as an opening act during the 2024-25 season. 

Axar Patel, not too long ago vice-captain of the T20I team, has not clicked with the bat or ball. India could look at Rinku Singh as an alternative, but that would deny them a left-arm spin option. 

Arshdeep Singh’s return to the 11 for the third game, at the expense of Harshit Rana, was a success. India’s all-time leading wicket-taker in T20Is claimed three wickets and with it the Player-of-the-Match award. With Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy and Arshdeep, India’s bowling was the most potent it looked all tour. 

Both teams have taken tactical calls to release certain players ahead of red-ball challenges. On Sunday, the BCCI announced that it was withdrawing Kuldeep Yadav from the series so that he could fly home to play for India A ahead of next week’s Test series against South Africa. A few hours later, Cricket Australia released Travis Head in order for him to play for his state in the fourth round of Sheffield Shield games, with an eye on the first Ashes Test starting November 21. 

With Head gone, Matt Short is the likely option to partner Mitchell Marsh at the top. Glenn Maxwell is expected to return from injury for this match. 

Kuldeep sat out the third match, with Washington Sundar taking his place. The allrounder did not get a chance to bowl, but put the finishing touched on a superb chase with an unbeaten 49 off 23 deliveries. His partner in a sixth-wicket partnership, Jitesh Sharma, has likely done enough to play the next two matches ahead of Samson. 

India likely playing 11: 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Suryakumar Yadav, 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Axar Patel, 6 Shivam Dube, 7 Washington Sundar, 8 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 9 Jasprit Bumrah, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Varun Chakravarthy

Australia likely best XI: 1 Mitchell Marsh (capt), 2 Matt Short, 3 Josh Inglis, 4 Tim David, 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Marcus Stoinis, 7 Mitchell Owen, 8 Xavier Bartlett, 9 Sean Abbott/Ben Dwarshius,10 Nathan Ellis, 11 Matthew Kuhnemann