India’s emerging bowling squad, facing intense scrutiny, aims to enhance its performance in the death overs, leveraging the absence of Glenn Maxwell to its advantage in the upcoming fourth T20 International against Australia this Friday.
The second-tier Indian bowling attack depicted a less than favorable image, failing to defend over 40 runs in the last two overs during the third match, ultimately won by the Australians as they pursued a challenging target of 223 runs.
There’s a potential adjustment in the Indian lineup following Prasidh Krishna’s struggle, conceding 68 runs, including 21 in the final over. The return of Deepak Chahar to the T20 setup presents an opportunity, given his ability to handle the new ball. His inclusion in the playing XI, alongside death overs specialist Mukesh Kumar, back after a one-match break, is under consideration.
Both Prasidh and Avesh Khan exhibit a lack of variety and innovation, consistently delivering the ball at the same length in the late 130s or early 140s. This predictable approach, compounded by the nature of Indian tracks, makes them vulnerable to opposition batters. Additionally, their inability to execute variations like conventional or wide yorkers has been a downfall, including struggles with slower deliveries.
In the batting lineup, Shreyas Iyer’s return means Tilak Varma appears to be the only candidate potentially benched, as Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, skipper Suryakumar Yadav, and finisher Rinku Singh seem to be secure in their positions.
India aims to capitalize on the absence of the influential Glenn Maxwell, who orchestrated a remarkable comeback for Australia in the five-match series with a last-ball victory in Guwahati. Despite the challenge, the hosts remain optimistic, especially with Maxwell, Steve Smith, and Adam Zampa not featuring in the playing XI. These key players have departed for home after an extended stay in the country, where they recently secured their sixth World Cup title.