India vs Australia Match Prediction: Who will win today's 3rd T20I match?
It seemed like the scheduling of the ongoing India vs Australia series couldn't get any tougher on the players, many of whom recently took part in the grueling 2023 World Cup. But it has.
The two teams will travel nearly 3,500 kilometers from Thiruvananthapuram to Guwahati to lock horns in the third T20I of the five-match series on Tuesday, November 28. The game will come just 48 hours after the hosts beat the Kangaroos by 44 runs to take a 2-0 lead in the rubber.
Australia clearly seem short on motivation, and it's hard to blame them. A good portion of their squad - including Glenn Maxwell and Adam Zampa, who entered the fray in the previous game - were part of the World Cup roster. Moreover, a good number of first-choice players aren't part of the T20Is.
India, meanwhile, have young and hungry players. The batting lineup has clicked to a certain extent and the spinners bowled well in the last game, but the fast bowlers are yet to hit their straps. They might welcome bowling at Guwahati, which has often offered swing, but dew could set in and trigger another high-scoring contest.
While this series won't offer much in terms of assessing where these two teams stand ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup, it has given plenty of insights into where certain fringe players are at right now. And it has also provided a fair amount of entertainment.
Can India seal the series well in advance? Or will Australia bring their fight to the fore once again?
IND vs AUS 2023: Series almost in the bag for Suryakumar Yadav and his men
On paper, Australia are an extremely dangerous side. They have explosive batters in Matthew Short, Josh Inglis, Marcus Stoinis, and Glenn Maxwell. The visitors also have batting depth and a fair amount of experience.
However, the Aussies' bowling woes have cropped up regularly in the two matches so far. Dropping Jason Behrendorff, who was the only bowler to impress in the series opener, for the last game didn't help.
So how do Australia fix their bowling concerns? Adam Zampa and Tanveer Sangha were the only two bowlers to not be plundered for runs in Thiruvananthapuram, and bringing in an extra pacer might not be viable despite it being arguably the ideal course of action.
India, meanwhile, have also been far from their best in the bowling department. But Suryakumar Yadav has marshaled his troops well, bringing in the right players at the right times and giving his men the ideal situations to express themselves.
The Men in Blue are a better outfit as things currently stand, despite not having a reliable sixth bowler or much batting depth. While the toss could work against them in Guwahati, they will start the contest as the marginal favorites. If Australia chase, though, the visitors can be backed to come out on top.
Prediction: India to win the 3rd T20I vs Australia.