IND vs AUS: Suryakumar's Men in Blue Chase T20I Glory; Australia Look to Achieve Historic 1st

India bounced back after the four-wicket defeat in Sydney on October 31 to beat Australia in the 3rd T20I in Hobart by five wickets. Suryakumar Yadav’s men were chasing a target of 187 set by Mitchell Marsh’s side and won with nine balls to spare. Washington Sundar top-scored with an unbeaten 49.

India vs Australia Series in Deadlock

After the first game in Canberra was a no-result due to rain, the series is now locked 1-1 with two games to go. The next two matches are November 6 and 8 in Gold Coast and Brisbane respectively. The side that wins the next game cannot lose the series as the other team can maximum draw it.

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Suryakumar Yadav Can Join MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli in a Special Group

India have a chance to win their third T20I series Down Under. Suryakumar could join MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli as the only Indian skippers to achieve this feat. Dhoni led India to a 3-0 whitewash in 2016 while under Kohli they won 2-1 in 2020. In fact, India have never lost a T20I bilateral series on Australian soil with two wins and two draws.

Australia’s Shot at History

For Australia, this is a chance to achieve a historic first. They have never beaten India in a T20I series at home. One more win will ensure no series loss but they will want to force the issue and clinch it 3-1. This is provided there are no more washouts. India too will be looking to do the same.

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India’s Preparation for 2026 T20 World Cup

The T20I series in Australia is the real beginning of India’s preparation for the T20 World Cup in 2026. Since winning the 2024 edition, India have won 24 out of 29 games with four losses and one no-result. This year alone they have played 15 games and won 12, lost two while one is a not-result. So they will want to continue the momentum that helped them beat England 4-1 and win the Asia Cup by winning seven games on the trot.

Arshdeep Singh finally got a game and even as India conceded a score of 186/6, he finished with 3/35. All the more reason to continue playing him in the coming games. Jasprit Bumrah went wicketless but conceded a mere 26 runs in four overs. These two compliment each other well. Should India win this series, it shall be a confidence boost for Suryakumar and the team will head with confidence into the consecutive bilateral series vs South Africa and New Zealand. The T20 World Cup starts a little over three months away and if India want to be lifting the trophy a month after that, more such performances are needed.