The fifth and final T20I between India and Australia will be played today, November 8. India currently leads the five-match series 2-1 and will look to seal it 3-1 with a win in Brisbane. However, if Australia manages to clinch victory, the series will end in a 2-2 draw.
With IND vs AUS T20 series already in India’s favor, head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav may look to test the bench strength.
Rinku Singh and Nitish Kumar Reddy, the only two players yet to feature in the series, could finally get a chance in the playing XI. Meanwhile, Shivam Dube and Washington Sundar are likely to be rested for this clash.
India Probable Playing XI for IND vs AUS 5th T20I
Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill (vice-captain), Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh.
Team India is expected to retain its core bowling unit of Bumrah, Arshdeep, and Axar while making minimal changes in batting.
Tilak Varma could move up to the No. 3 position, replacing Shivam Dube, who occupied the spot in the previous match. India will aim to finish the series on a high and secure a morale-boosting series win over Australia.
There’s also a strong possibility that India may go into the fifth T20I with an unchanged lineup from the previous match, which they won convincingly.
Despite the absence of Hardik Pandya and Kuldeep Yadav being sent home early, India has managed to find a balanced combination after the setback in Melbourne. The spin trio has complemented Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh perfectly, while Shivam Dube’s variations and change of pace have provided crucial breakthroughs. As a result, the team management is likely to stick with the winning formula for the series decider i.e IND vs AUS 5th T20I in Gabba.
