Shubman Gill Eyes Big Knock as India Take on Australia in 4th T20

Shubman Gill will be aiming to turn the tables with a strong performance after an underwhelming tour as India look to take a 2-1 lead against a depleted Australia in the fourth T20 International on Thursday. The series stands level at 1-1 after three matches, with Australia's previous game impacted by the absence of Josh Hazlewood, which helped India chase a standard total of 186.

Australia will be further weakened with the absence of opener Travis Head, who will participate in Sheffield Shield matches to prepare for the upcoming Ashes. With two key players missing, India have a prime opportunity to secure a series advantage before the final game at the Gabba.

In the previous match, India experimented successfully with team combinations, opting for an all-rounder at No. 8. However, Shubman Gill’s form remains a concern. The Indian vice-captain has now gone six games without a fifty, scoring 10, 9, 24, 37*, 5, and 15 since the ODI series began. His best showing was a calm partnership with skipper Suryakumar Yadav at Canberra.

Gill has struggled against fuller deliveries with slight movement and has not displayed the form that has made him a standout player. On the other hand, Abhishek Sharma, the world’s No.1 T20 batter, has impressed with a half-century and two quick starts. Scoring runs in this game will boost Gill’s confidence ahead of the red-ball series against South Africa.

Captain Suryakumar Yadav has shown glimpses of his vintage form with solid starts in the first and third matches but will look to gain momentum before the month-long break prior to the South Africa series. He is expected to play Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy clash against Puducherry during this period.

India’s bowling looks more balanced with Arshdeep Singh included, while Kuldeep Yadav has been rested to focus on Test preparations. The management continues to face challenges in balancing the spin department, as both Kuldeep and Arshdeep cannot play together. When Arshdeep plays, Washington Sundar’s inclusion proved decisive in India’s third-match victory with his 23-ball 49.

Australia will rely on skipper Mitchell Marsh and Tim David for batting firepower. With Travis Head absent, Matthew Short is likely to partner Marsh at the top. In bowling, Australia may shuffle the lineup, with Sean Abbott’s performance under scrutiny and potential replacements including Ben Dwarshuis or Mahli Beardman.

India: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill (VC), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson (WK), Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar

Australia: Mitchell Marsh (C), Matthew Short, Josh Inglis (WK), Josh Phillippe (WK), Mitchell Owen, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Kuhnemann, Adam Zampa, Mahli Beardman, Ben Dwarshuis, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Marcus Stoinis