Australian superstar Glenn Maxwell is looking to bounce back into form on Saturday night after his underwhelming return from injury, up against an India side hellbent on leaving the country on a winning note.
The visitors’ 48-run win over the Aussies on Thursday night at Carrara gives them an unassailable lead heading into the fifth and final T20 match, with a current lead of 2-1.
Not since 2019 has Australia defeated India in a bilateral 20-over series, and should India walk away winner at the Gabba, it will make this their fifth consecutive series win against them.
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It’s not all positive news coming out of the Indian camp though, with opener and Test captain Shubman Gill seemingly in the firing line to retain his place at the top of the order beyond this tour.
The 26-year-old star made a steady 46 off 39 balls only two nights ago on the Gold Coast, but so strong are India’s batting stocks awaiting opportunity, the suggestion from a number of media sources suggest that he may be on borrowed time if he doesn’t perform tonight.
Wisden Cricket’s Sarah Waris published a column on Friday titled: ‘Time to end the Shubman Gill T20I trial – it costs India too much’.
“The impact of this sudden reshuffle has extended far beyond the top of the order … with Gill now drafted to open, (Sanju) Samson has been pushed down the order, where he has managed just 134 runs at a strike rate of 121.81,” Waris wrote.
“Meanwhile, Suryakumar is struggling for rhythm, and with both Tilak Varma and Gill occupying anchor roles, the team has one anchor too many … the result is a line-up that feels unsettled, chaotic, and far removed from the cohesion that had driven recent success.
“The question remains: will the team bend backwards for an individual, or will they find individuals that fit into a system that was consciously integrated by a captain after the horrors of the 2022 World Cup? The answer determines where Indian cricket is headed.”
T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav is also well and truly in the spotlight, having now only passed 25 twice in his last 18 international innings.
As for Australia, all-rounder Maxwell returned from his fractured wrist on Thursday night in a limited capacity, scoring just two from his four balls faced after not bowling.
The first ball tonight will be bowled at 7:15pm AEDT (6:15pm local time) in Brisbane, with the toss to be done half an hour beforehand.
Australia squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Mahli Beardman, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis (wk), Matthew Kuhnemann, Mitchell Owen, Josh Philippe (wk), Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Tanveer Sangha
India squad: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson (wk), Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar
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