India will rely on their key bowlers Harshal Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal being back to their best when the hosts take on Australia in the series-deciding third T20I in Hyderabad on Sunday. The side were able to level the three-match series with a comprehensive win in a rain-curtailed eight-over-a-side contest. But they will need their bowlers, especially Harshal and Chahal, to overcome their struggles ahead of the T20 World Cup.
India got off to an electric start in the last match with Axar Patel bowling a fiery two-over spell that included a couple of wickets. However, their struggles at the back end of the innings have hurt them. With Jasprit Bumrah sure to carry the responsibility, senior pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s poor show in the death overs is a real concern. He struggled in the Asia Cup and in the opener against Australia as well.
Death overs specialist Harshal, who is returning from an injury, also hasn’t inspired confidence and needs a few matches more to find his rhythm. The right-arm medium pacer, who relies on his variations to be effective, has conceded 81 runs in his six overs at an economy rate of 13.50 and is the most expensive bowler in the series. He has struggled to get his lengths right, remaining wicketless.
Team India relies on their spinners in the middle overs and while Axar has been a big positive, Chahal has faltered. He went for a lot of runs in the Asia Cup and the trend has continued against Australia. But the return of Bumrah will bring relief to the Indian bowlers after the star showed no signs of rust after returning from his back injury.
In the batting department, the famed top order comprising Rohit, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli needs to be more consistent. The trio has not fired in unison for a while. Suryakumar Yadav has also been patchy in the past few games with Hardik Pandya churning out match-winning performances.
Another chink in the Indian batters' armour is leg spin. They have continued to struggle against leggies and Adam Zampa has utilised this weakness well. Dinesh Karthik, who played his role of a finisher to perfection in the previous game, is likely to get more game time.
Skipper Rohit would also like to give Axar, who is a like-to-like replacement for the injured Ravindra Jadeja, a go with the bat to see how the all-rounder performs in crunch situations. Additionally, he is the only left-hander on the side apart from Rishabh Pant.
The Australians, on the other hand, would also be concerned with their bowling.
After outplaying India in the first game, the Australians were at the receiving end in the second match, eventually losing by a massive six wickets. While Aaron Finch and Matthew Wade managed to put runs on the board, their bowling department failed miserably once again.
In the absence of the injured Nathan Elis, pacers Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Daniel Sams leaked over 11 runs an over. All-rounder Cameron Green has also been expensive. Wade has been brilliant with the willow but with a World Cup to defend in their backyard, the Australian team management would like the big-hitting Glenn Maxwell, who has scored just a run in two games, to pick up form.
Come Sunday, both teams will try to iron out the chinks in their armours and come on top, as a series win this close to World Cup will be a real moral booster.
Teams
India
Rohit Sharma (C), KL Rahul (vc), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav
Australia
Aaron Finch (C), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Daniel Sams, Steve Smith, Matthew Wade, Adam Zampa.
(With PTI inputs)
