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This is an archive article published on December 2, 2023

India vs Australia: Pre-match predictions and talking points for 5th T20I at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium

IND vs AUS: After winning the five-match series in Raipur The Indian Express argues why Washington Sundar should a game and how M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru will be an ideal ground for Australia's Tim David

IND vs AUSWashington Sundar, Deepak Chahar and Tim David from left to right. (Agencies)

Going into the final game of the IND vs AUS T20I series, to be played in Bengaluru, India will be looking to test their bench strength as they have already sealed the bilateral affair with a win in the fourth T20I in Raipur. Though there has yet to be a perfect performance from the Surykumar Yadav-led side so far in the series, they have managed to overcome challenges and pulled off wins.

Bowling with the new ball has been something India have struggled with throughout the series. The Australian new ball bowlers haven’t been perfect either. But the difference in the two sides has been the quality of spinners. Compared to inexperienced Tanveer Sangha, India’s Ravis Bishnoi and Axar Patel extracted a lot more from the surfaces.

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If bowling has been a negative for both sides, the batting units have been firing on all cylinders. Given the nature of the pitch in Chinnaswamy and the dimensions of the ground, one can expect another run feast on Sunday.

Washington Sundar to get a game

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With the series already in the bag, it might be an ideal opportunity for the side to look at Sundar. The off-spinner, who was looked upon as a natural successor to R Ashwin at least in white ball format, has lost his shine a bit in the past year or so because of injuries. Though this may not be the game which will cement his place in the side, it might be the beginning of the resurrection of his Indian career.

Deepak Chahar’s redemption

In his comeback game in Raipur, though he picked up a couple of wickets, he looked off-colour with the new ball which is very unusual for him. The Chennai Super Kings player is one of the best exponents of swing in the air and seam moment of the surface in the country in the first few overs. He will be hoping to hit his lines and lengths with more precision for the next game.

Paradise for Tim David

The power hitter will relish the ground dimensions and the surface. Though he has shown glimpses of what he can do in bits and pieces in the series so far. The Indian fans could only witness his striking range in the IPL for the Mumbai Indians. However, the final game might be the stage set for David to show his brute strength along with playing a potential match-winning innings.

Predicted XIs for IND and AUS

India’s predicted XI for 5th T20I versus Australia

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Deepak Chahar, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar

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Australia’s predicted XI for 5th T20I versus India

osh Philippe, Travis Head, Ben McDermott, Aaron Hardie, Tim David, Matthew Short, Matthew Wade(w/c), Ben Dwarshuis, Chris Green, Jason Behrendorff, Tanveer Sangha

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