Image Credit- AP
With one game remaining, Raipur gave an equitable duel
between bat and ball after three run-fests, helping India to win the five-match
series. However, when Australia and India head to Bengaluru for the fifth and
final Twenty20 International, expect the runs to start coming back, and with
some vigour.
Although it’s not ideal, Australians Travis Head,
Tanveer Sangha, and Matthew Short, in particular, might not be too upset about
a turnaround time of less than 48 hours. Head, who was a member of the 15-man
team, Sangha, who was a travelling reserve, and Short, who was a member of the
current squad, are the only ones who have been in India from the beginning of
the ODI World Cup. They will be eager to return home.
In an attempt to give some of their weary players a
break, Australia has tried up to 19 players so far in the series. For the
Raipur T20I, they made five changes, but the newcomers were unable to level the
series. The spin pair of Axar Patel and Ravi Bishnoi has constantly taken the
quick bowlers to task, while the Australian batting has fallen short in their
batting department.
As Australia looks to finish their tour of India on a
strong note, they could expect some reprieve from the Bengaluru pitch, which
has traditionally not favoured spin as much as some of the other surfaces
they’ve played on.
Even though India hasn’t been as proficient,
Suryakumar Yadav would be most pleased with the individual players for their
ability to persevere under duress. In Raipur, Jitesh Sharma made history by
smashing a century off just 19 balls in his first-ever game of the series.
Rinku Singh also shown his ability to set up a total, demonstrating that he was
more than simply a finisher.
One area where the boxes haven’t been checked is
arguably the fast-bowling unit, although India will be glad to have Deepak
Chahar back after an injury absence. Although his spell didn’t get off to the
best start, he recovered strongly and delivered two significant punches. Come
Sunday, the team management will be hoping for a more well-rounded performance
from the fast-bowling assault.