AUS vs IND, 4th T20I Preview: Time for Gill to find his mojo as India eyes series lead against Australia

Shubman Gill will be looking to turn the tables with a big knock after what has been an underwhelming tour, when a confident India eyes a series lead against a depleted Australia in the fourth T20 International in Carrara on Thursday.

The series is locked at 1-1 after three games, and the absence of Josh Hazlewood in the previous game played a part in Australia’s inability to defend 186 in the third T20I.

Going into the fourth game, there won’t be any Travis Head for Australia as the opener is set to play in the Sheffield Shield to prepare for the Ashes.

With two pillars of the rival team unavailable, this is the best chance for India to go 2-1 up before the final game at the Gabba.

In the last game, India finally got its combination right, while also slotting in an all-rounder at No. 8.

However, what will slightly bother the Indian team management is Gill’s form in the series, as he has now played six games without a half-century.

The sequence of scores since the start of the ODI series reads 10, 9, 24, 37 not out, 5, and 15. The only time he looked in good nick was in Canberra, during his partnership with skipper Suryakumar Yadav.

Gill has been troubled by fuller deliveries with a hint of movement and hasn’t looked in regal touch.

On the other hand, Abhishek Sharma has done his reputation no harm as the world’s No. 1 T20 batter with a fine half-century and two quick starts in the series.

However, Gill, who will have to switch to red-ball cricket in a week, will certainly get a lot of confidence if he gets some runs, irrespective of the format he is playing.

Skipper Suryakumar has shown some glimpses of his vintage self in the first and third matches with two good starts.

But he would also like to get some runs under his belt now that there will be a month-long break before the next series against South Africa.

The bowling department, with the inclusion of Arshdeep Singh, looks more compact even as Kuldeep Yadav has been sent back to prepare for the Test series against the Proteas.

The team management’s main issue has always been that both Kuldeep and Arshdeep can’t be played together.

If Kuldeep plays in these conditions, then Harshit Rana, with better batting skills, needs to be fitted in.

When Arshdeep plays, India must include Washington Sundar, who smashed a 23-ball 49 in the third T20I.

The Australian side will depend a lot on skipper Mitchell Marsh and Tim David for the firepower in batting. With no Head in the line-up, Marsh might have Matthew Short as his opening partner.

However, it is the bowling department where Australia needs to do some rejigging as Sean Abbott hasn’t look the part, and one among Ben Dwarshuis or Mahli Beardman might come in his place.

Published on Nov 05, 2025