India's predicted playing XI for the 4th T20I vs Australia
Team India will look to put the five-match series against Australia to bed when they face off in the fourth T20I in Raipur on Friday, December 1.
The Men in Blue took a commanding 2-0 lead following the first two matches, but they couldn't get over the line in the third T20I as a Glenn Maxwell special proved decisive on the night.
The squads of both teams have undergone considerable changes since the last game, and there are bound to be plenty of alterations.
India’s squad: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar, Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain).
Here is India's predicted playing XI for the fourth T20I against Australia.
Openers: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Yashasvi Jaiswal
Will India tinker with their opening combination? Ishan Kishan is definitely more suited to the top of the order than No. 3, and with Shreyas Iyer now being available for selection, it's certainly worth considering.
However, it would be harsh on both Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad to be dropped, even if retaining them means that a couple of middle-order batters will need to bat out of position. While Jaiswal was the Player of the Match in the second T20I, Gaikwad smashed a sensational century in the previous game.
Middle Order: Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Ishan Kishan (wk), Rinku Singh
Shreyas Iyer's ideal position in T20Is is probably at No. 3. India will try their best to give their vice-captain his preferred slot, and that would imply that the wicket-keeper of the side will need to bat lower in the middle order.
The best T20I batter in the world, Suryakumar Yadav belongs in the top four. He shouldn't be moved around amid all the shuffling, having come up with a Player of the Match performance in the series opener.
So who do India play at No. 5? Do they persist with Tilak Varma? If they retain the openers and bring in Shreyas, they can't drop anyone but Tilak and the youngster could be on the chopping block for the fourth T20I.
The hosts need a wicket-keeper at No. 5, then Kishan batting out of position and Jitesh Sharma replacing him are the two options at the side's disposal. While the latter seems a good choice as it would hand the impressive Jitesh a chance, the former appears more likely as of today.
Shivam Dube could continue to struggle to break into the XI.
All-rounder: Axar Patel
Axar Patel has been impressive with the ball throughout the series, barring his expensive over at the death in the last game that was more Suryakumar's fault than his. The southpaw will look forward to an opportunity to impress with the bat.
Bowlers: Deepak Chahar, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar
Deepak Chahar was added to the squad for the third T20I as cover for Mukesh Kumar. Both bowlers are expected to be available for selection on Friday and could enter the fold at the expense of India's underperforming seamers, Arshdeep Singh and Prasidh Krishna.
Ravi Bishnoi and Avesh Khan, who were two of the hosts' most impressive bowlers in Guwahati, should retain their places in the side. It's worth noting that Avesh isn't part of the T20I squad for the South Africa tour, which might influence the team management's decision on Friday, but he should play.