Brisbane, Nov 7 (UNI) On Saturday at The Gabba, the series finale between India and Australia promises fireworks, with India holding a slender 2-1 advantage.
The stakes are sky-high, and while Australia will throw everything at leveling the series, India enter the decider with confidence buzzing.
Australia face an uphill battle. Missing Travis Head and Josh Hazlewood, their firepower is dented. Mitchell Marsh will need to take the attack to India alongside Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, and Glenn Maxwell.
In the bowling department, Nathan Ellis and Adam Zampa carry the onus of breaking through a settled Indian lineup. It’s a familiar story here at The Gabba — home advantage matters, but India have been uncompromising this tour.
India, meanwhile, have momentum on their side. Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma have provided the fireworks, while Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav bring composure at the crease.
The lower order, featuring Washington Sundar and Jitesh Sharma, can shift gears when the situation demands. Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh remain the spearheads, capable of unpicking any partnership.
History tells us that The Gabba favours the side chasing totals. The last five domestic T20 encounters have all gone to the team batting second, and with scores of 180-190 competitive, the toss may be decisive — especially with clouds looming and thunderstorms possible. Expect the captains to give the new ball a go.
If India can assert themselves in the powerplay and keep the Aussies on the back foot, they have a real shot at wrapping up the series 3-1. Australia will need early breakthroughs and strong contributions from Marsh and David to stay alive.
With both sides hungry for glory, fans can expect an edge-of-the-seat T20 thriller under the Brisbane lights. The decider could well hinge on a single partnership, a spell of pace, or a flurry of boundaries — and that’s what makes cricket at The Gabba so intoxicating.
Teams
Australia: Mitchell Marsh, Matthew Short, Josh Inglis, Tim David, Josh Philippe, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Ben Dwarshuis, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa.
India: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Jitesh Sharma, Shivam Dube, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Mitchell Owen, Matthew Kuhnemann, Tanveer Sangha, Mahli Beardman, Sanju Samson, Rinku Singh, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana.
