India's predicted playing XI for the 5th T20I vs Australia
Having sealed the five-match T20I series against Australia, Team India will look to end the rubber on a winning note at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday, December 3.
The Men in Blue might want to give their fringe players a chance to impress in the contest, which doesn't have much riding on it. A couple of names who haven't featured throughout the series might turn out.
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 fifth T20I against Australia.
Openers: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Yashasvi Jaiswal
India are unlikely to make any changes to their opening combination for the fifth T20I. While Yashasvi Jaiswal has made two notable contributions to his team's cause in the series so far, Ruturaj Gaikwad blasted a sensational century in the third T20I that went in vain.
Middle Order: Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Rinku Singh
There are two middle-order batters currently on the bench, Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube. While Tilak lost his place in the side to Shreyas Iyer in the last game, Dube hasn't made an appearance in the series so far.
While India will be tempted to give both players an opportunity on Sunday, who do the drop? With Dube not being in the scheme of things for the South Africa T20Is, he might have to go through the entire assignment without a cap to show for.
Tilak, meanwhile, has more of a case to be brought back into the XI after being picked for the upcoming tour. If the hosts are willing, they could rest captain Suryakumar Yadav and give the 21-year-old another go. Rinku Singh, who has been excellent so far, is another candidate to be rested.
While it would be an excellent decision to give Suryakumar a breather and bring in Tilak, India might not be willing to do that.
All-rounder: Washington Sundar
Axar Patel has barely gotten any time in the middle with the bat, but he has been one of India's standout performers with the ball so far. He isn't part of the South Africa T20I squad, though, while Washington Sundar is.
Sundar could thus replace Axar in the side for the fifth T20I as the Men in Blue attempt to think towards the future, having already sealed the ongoing series.
Sundar playing alongside Axar is the ideal course of action, but that would require one of the middle-order batters or fast bowlers to be sacrificed - something that doesn't seem feasible.
Bowlers: Deepak Chahar, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar
India's bowling attack should wear a similar look. It wouldn't be the best idea to play a game at the Chinnaswamy without three fast bowlers, and Arshdeep Singh and Prasidh Krishna aren't exactly frontrunners to return to the XI.
Ravi Bishnoi could be rested for Sundar in case the hosts want to play the two finger-spinning all-rounders in tandem. But again, that could prove counterproductive, with Kuldeep Yadav returning for India's next assignment in the Rainbow Nation.