IND vs AUS, 3rd T20I: With series on the line, Australia look to stop Indian juggernaut in Guwahati

Suryakumar Yadav-led India have an opportunity to seal the series as early as the 3rd T20I as they take on Australia at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati on Tuesday.

While the hosts have been clinical while both chasing and setting a target, the visiting Australian side, which has quite a few of their World Cup-winning stars, are yet to hit their peak in the T20I series.

India won the T20I series opener in Visakhapatnam, notching up their highest successful chase in T20Is (209) before out-batting Australia with a total of 235 on the board in the 2nd T20I in Tiruvananthapuram on a day when Indian Premier League 2024 retentions dominated headlines.

Australia played a T20I game, just 4 days after their World Cup final triumph and it was understandable that the visitors had issues with their intensity in the first two games. Despite the fatigue, Australia put on a valiant show in the first T20I, riding on a hundred from Josh Inglis and a fifty from Steve Smith before they took the game deep.

However, in the second T20I, the wheels came off after India took the game away with the bat as the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ishan Kishan, and Ruturaj Gaikwad hit fifties while Rinku Singh shone again in the finisher’s role, hitting a 9-ball 31.

Captain Suyrakumar Yadav has earned praise for marshaling his troops wonderfully well in his first two outings as T20I captain. He had led from the front in the series opener in Vizag, hitting a quickfire 80 in India’s chase.

On the other hand, Australia brought back Glenn Maxwell only in their second game while their hero from the World Cup Final, Travis Head has not played a game yet in the 5-match series.

TRAVIS HEAD BACK?
Australia might need their full-strength unit for the 3rd game as the series is on the line. Head is likely to return to the XI for the must-win game and provide the impetus at the top of the order. A regular in the Tests and ODI sides, Head has played only 4 T20Is in the last 2 years and with competition for the fast-approaching T20 World Cup next year high, the aggressive opener will be hoping to make a quick mark and seal a spot. Getting back to business in a high-pressure contest is a challenge that Head would not say no to.

On the other hand, Australia might look to retain Steve Smith at the top of the order amid reports that he might return to Australia after the end of the 3rd T20I after having confirmed his availability for Sydney Sixers’ opening game in Big Bash League on December 8, which will be followed by a Test series at home against Pakistan.

Australia will need more from their T20I regulars, including Tim David, Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell. Yes, It was David and Stoinis who kept Australia in the hunt in a 236-run chase in Thiruvananthapuram after their top-order failed.

Australia will also be tempted to bring back Jason Behrendorff, who shone in the first T20I, in place of a certain Sean Abbott, who conceded 56 runs in just 3 overs in the 2nd T20I. It will be interesting to see whether Australia continue with their two-spinner theory as both Adam Zampa and Tanveer Sangha played in the 2nd game of the series.

“One of the key pillars of our game is intent. And you couldn’t fault that throughout the innings. Will there be mistakes made? Of course. But if we’re making mistakes with good intent, good decisions, good plans, and if the execution doesn’t go quite right, well, we’re quite happy to accept that,” Andre Borovec, Australia’s stand-in head coach said, reflecting on their second T20i show.

CHANGES FOR INDIA?

India look like a well-oiled machine with the NextGen stars putting on an impressive show so far. While Yashasvi and Ruturaj have impressed at the top, Ishan Kishan is once again proving that he is a flexible batter. The wicketkeeper-batter, who has often opened in T20Is, has hit back-to-back fifties while batting at No. 3.

Spinners Axar Patel and Ravi Bishnoi have stood out in high-scoring games. While the left-arm spinner has kept it tight, Bishnoi has reaped the reward for going in with an attacking intent.

India might want to have a look at someone like Avesh Khan in place of Arshdeep Singh, who has struggled to strike with the new ball for the team. However, VVS Laxman would be tempted to give the left-arm quick another go and not tinker with the winning combination.

PITCH AND CONDITIONS
It’s expected to be a humid evening in Guwahati and dew will play a factor, considering the 7 pm start. In 2017, India were bowled out for 118 in a T20I game at the Barsapara Stadium, but the two last two encounters, including an ODI against Sri Lanka earlier in the year, have been high-scoring affairs.

In facf, India scored 237 and South Africa came close with 221 in a T20I in October last year. Expect a good batting pitch again in Guwahati on Tuesday.