The T20 cricket series between India and Australia is currently captivating, with Australia making a strong comeback in the third match at Thiruvananthapuram. They achieved a 5-wicket victory, keeping their series hopes alive. India's performance in the final overs was a point of concern, as they conceded 43 runs in the last two overs. This was exacerbated by a few mistakes from the wicketkeeper. Despite Ruturaj Gaikwad's maiden T20I century helping India to a substantial total of 222 runs, they failed to defend it.
For the upcoming matches, Team India is expected to make some changes. Shreyas Iyer and Mukesh Kumar are set to return, and additional changes are anticipated considering the recent form of some players. While India still has the advantage with a game in hand, they are cautious, given Australia's impressive response in the previous game. The next match in Raipur is crucial for India to secure the series.
The Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur, the venue for the next game, is hosting its first-ever T20 international. This year, the stadium hosted its first ODI between India and New Zealand and has been the venue for several IPL matches. However, international matches present a different challenge.
Historically, the pitch at this stadium is known to be slow, as evidenced by the low scores in previous matches. The only ODI played here saw the team batting first being bowled out for just 108 runs. Even in the IPL matches, the highest score by a team batting first was 164. This suggests that the pitch favors bowlers, which might come as a relief to both teams after high-scoring games in the first three matches of the series.
