Bengaluru weather forecast today: What are the chances of rain during the India vs Australia 5th T20I?
With the series already done and dusted, Team India will look to test their bench strength when they play Australia in the fifth and final T20I in Bengaluru on Sunday. The hosts took an unassailable 3-1 lead by winning the last game in Raipur.
India took a 2-0 lead in the series after winning the first two games. However, Australia pulled one back to make things exciting, thanks to a breathtaking century from Glenn Maxwell in the third game. But the Men in Blue bounced back to seal the series with a 20-run victory in the fourth match.
Batting first, India posted 174/9 in 20 overs, thanks to Rinku Singh (46 off 29) and Jitesh Sharma's (35 off 19) clutch knocks. In response, Australia could only musted 154/7 and looked all over the place against the Indian spinners. Axar Patel and Ravi Bishnoi conceded only 33 runs in eight overs, picking up four wickets combined.
While the series has already been settled, Australia will be eager to end on a winning note. The Men in Blue, meanwhile, will look to use the dead rubber to test their bench strength with the T20 World Cup 2024 on the horizon. They have only a handful of T20Is at their disposal to pick the right combinations for the ICC event.
India and Australia come into the fixture with different agendas, but fans will hope for an exciting contest and a full 40-over game. According to Accuweather, there is no chance of rain at all, which might delight fans. However, it would be cloudy throughout the day in Bengaluru.
The temperature will hover around 22-23 degrees Celsius, with the wind blowing at 22 km/h. The humidity would be around 85 percent.
"If not the entire XI, pretty much you will see 10 players being same" - Ashish Nehra on India's playing XI for 5th T20I
Former pacer Ashish Nehra reckons that Men in Blue won't tinker with their playing XI much for the final T20I against Australia at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
During a discussion on JioCinema, Nehra was asked whether Suryakumar Yadav and company would make changes to their playing XI.
"You should have a thinking for every match, the way this series has gone. The way you have played, if not the entire XI, pretty much you will see 10 players being same," he replied.
"If you talk about Shreyas Iyer, he wants to score runs. Jitesh Sharma wants to be given more opportunities," Nehra added.
How many changes do you think India will make in their playing XI for the fifth T20I? Let us know in the comment section.