IND vs AUS, 4th T20I | Five Player Battles To Watch Out For
India and Australia will lock horns in Raipur (AP Photo)
It was a valiant effort by the Australian team in the third T20I to overcome the Indian team in Guwahati. This win has not only kept the series alive but has also ignited a spirit of hope for the visitors to come back strong in the upcoming game at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur on December 1.
The last game was a perfect reflection of how the team's bowling has performed, not just in one game but throughout the series. Prasidh Krishna failed to defend 21 runs in the last over, recording the most expensive figures for an Indian bowler in T20Is.
In the absence of senior bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, the fast bowling, in particular, has struggled to contain the run-scoring. While the pitches have favoured the batters, and all the matches have been high-scoring, this cannot conceal India's weakness in the bowling department.
There will be wholesale changes to Australia's playing XI, as many first-choice players have returned home. Several changes will be made to the lineup that played in Guwahati. Glenn Maxwell, who played a blinder to secure the win for his team, will miss the third T20I.
Let's delve into the five player battles that will be on display on the field in Raipur.
Ruturaj Gaikwad vs Jason Behrendorff
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Ruturaj Gaikwad (AP Photo)
Ruturaj Gaikwad, the centurion of the last game in Guwahati, was the top run-getter in the match. Opening the innings, Ruturaj was cautious at the start and accelerated at the back end. Early in the innings, Ruturaj was challenged by Behrendorff, who was the pick of all the bowlers in the last game.
The tall left-arm Aussie quick swings the ball both ways with control, and he can be very challenging to face in the powerplay, as he has shown in the previous outings. In the series so far, Ruturaj hasn't been dismissed yet but has only scored 9 runs in the 10 balls faced. In the past, it has been seen that Ruturaj struggles against left-arm pace, and this will bring Behrendorff into the game.
Tim David vs Ravi Bishnoi
Tim David
Tim David's reputation is built on his ability to hit hard and hit long. He has been one of the most destructive batters in the T20 arena in the last two to three years. But he hasn't been able to live up to the hype of his or the expectations of the Aussie fans in this series. He is yet to make a mark in the ongoing series, and one of the big reasons behind that is his struggle against spin, particularly against Ravi Bishnoi.
The wrist leg spinner has dismissed him twice in three games, while David has managed to score only five runs in six balls. It is well known that David struggles against spin, and Bishnoi has highlighted his weakness a bit more in this series.
Suryakumar Yadav vs Nathan Ellis
Suryakumar Yadav playing a sweep shot (AP Photo)
Suryakumar Yadav has been in sensational form in this series. The pressure of captaincy hasn't really affected his batting. It has been very tough for the Australian bowlers to get rid of SKY. But, one bowler who has found some success against SKY is Nathan Ellis. The right-arm skiddy pacer has managed to dismiss him once in the series. SKY still holds the upper hand over Ellis as he has scored 44 runs off his bowling in just 22 balls.
Ellis has been the strike bowler, and he is known for bowling the tough overs. Having bowled to the same batter on three occasions, it'll be interesting to see what sort of plan he will come up with when he bowls to SKY in Raipur.
Matthew Wade vs Arshdeep Singh
Matthew Wade while scooping a ball (AP Photo)
Batting in the lower middle-order is not one of the easiest jobs, as the player gets very few balls to face, which is why Matthew Wade's efforts with the bat have been commendable. Whenever he comes to bat, he plays with intent. Even in the last game where Glenn Maxwell hogged the spotlight, Wade played his role to perfection and made sure his team won that match.
When Wade gets going, it's tough to stop him. To stop him, India may turn to Arshdeep Singh. Although it hasn't been a very fruitful series for the left-armer, his ability to nail yorkers and outfox the batters with his variations makes him a tough bowler. So far, the competition between these two has been one-sided, with Wade dominating Arshdeep. The southpaw has scored 18 runs off 10 balls bowled by Arshdeep.
Ishan Kishan vs Tanveer Sangha
Ishan Kishan has scored two 50s in IND vs AUS (AP Photo)
After spending the majority of the 2023 World Cup on the bench, Ishan Kisha is making every opportunity count when he's in the blue jersey. He has already scored two half-centuries in three innings and will be aiming for another one in Raipur. However, this time he will have to be prepared for a tricky wicket.
Raipur has traditionally been a slow pitch, and with big boundaries, Tanveer Sangha is likely to make an impact and could well pose a challenge to Ishan. Sangha has managed to dismiss Ishan once, but the Indian left-handed batter has scored 53 off 23 balls.
 "Vaibhav Tripathi")
