India faces Australia in a high-voltage decider at The Gabba on November 8, with Suryakumar Yadav's men holding a commanding 2-1 lead after a dramatic turnaround in the series. The opener in Canberra was washed out, but Australia struck first with a four-wicket thriller in Melbourne. India roared back, clinching a nail-biting win in the third T20I and a stunning 48-run demolition in the fourth at Carrara, where their spinners—led by Washington Sundar (3/3) and Axar Patel (2 wickets)—rattled the hosts for just 119 while defending 168. With the series on the line, all eyes are on India's shaky top order and potential tweaks to seal a historic 3-1 triumph Down Under.
Shubman Gill's spot is under the scanner after a string of low scores, with his fluent 46 in the fourth T20 offering a glimmer of hope but not enough to silence critics. The young opener has struggled for consistency on bouncy Australian pitches, averaging under 25 in the series so far, prompting whispers of Yashasvi Jaiswal or Ruturaj Gaikwad stepping in. Suryakumar, fresh off tactical masterstrokes like promoting Shivam Dube against spin, hinted at rejigging the batting lineup to counter Australia's pace attack, including Pat Cummins and Xavier Bartlett. Abhishek Sharma's explosive starts have been a bright spot, but the middle order—featuring Tilak Varma and Dube—must fire to post a defendable total at the intimidating Gabba.
Australia, led by Mitchell Marsh, are desperate to avoid a series loss at home and will lean on their all-round firepower. Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis need to rediscover form after the fourth T20 collapse, while spinners Adam Zampa and Glenn Maxwell could exploit any turn on offer. The hosts' probable XI includes Matt Short, Josh Inglis, Tim David, and a pace trio of Nathan Ellis, Bartlett, and Mahli Beardman, aiming to chase down whatever India sets. Weather forecasts predict partly cloudy skies with possible showers, adding unpredictability to the equation—temperatures around 26°C, but interruptions could favor the team batting second.
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India's probable lineup—Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill (or replacement), Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Shivam Dube, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Jasprit Bumrah—boasts balance, with Bumrah's death-over wizardry key to restricting Australia. The visitors have extended their unbeaten T20I series streak against the Aussies to 17 years, including an unbeaten Asia Cup 2025 title under new coach Gautam Gambhir. A win here would cap a dominant tour, boosting morale ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
As Brisbane braces for battle, the toss at 1:15 PM IST could swing fortunes—batting first might suit India's spinners on a used pitch. With Star Sports broadcasting live and Disney+ Hotstar streaming online, fans worldwide are geared up for a classic. Can Gill silence doubters and Suryakumar script another chapter? The Gabba awaits its next epic.
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