India will look to derail Australia’s T20 World Cup campaign as they face off in their final Super Eight game on Monday. A third consecutive victory for India would not only make them the group leaders and secure a semifinal spot, but it would also significantly jeopardize Australia’s chances of progressing following their unexpected loss to Afghanistan in Saint Vincent on Saturday night.
Australia's fate no longer lies solely in their hands, and they will be keenly watching Afghanistan's final game against Bangladesh on Monday night. Having suffered heartbreaking defeats to Australia in previous ICC events, India would relish seeing their rivals make an early exit.
India, fresh off back-to-back wins against Afghanistan and Bangladesh, don’t need much fine-tuning ahead of the knockouts. Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli played substantial innings against Afghanistan, while Shivam Dube silenced his critics with a crucial knock. However, Rishabh Pant will want to improve his shot selection after frequent dismissals of reverse hits.
Hardik Pandya’s all-round performances have been a significant positive for India. In addition to his incisive spells with the ball, Hardik has also contributed effectively with the bat. Kuldeep Yadav has quickly become a match-winner, too, providing crucial wickets in the middle overs.
{{/usCountry}}Hardik Pandya’s all-round performances have been a significant positive for India. In addition to his incisive spells with the ball, Hardik has also contributed effectively with the bat. Kuldeep Yadav has quickly become a match-winner, too, providing crucial wickets in the middle overs.
{{/usCountry}}Despite Shivam Dube's sluggish performances in the opening stages of the tournament, he will keep the side's faith after a bright cameo against Bangladesh, scoring 34 off 24 deliveries with three towering sixes.
Despite playing three Super 8 games with limited travel breaks, India are unlikely to rotate players for this match. The team arrived in Saint Lucia on Saturday night and opted not to train ahead of the Australia game due to the hectic travel schedule.
India's Likely XI vs Australia
Opener: Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli
Middle-order: Rishabh Pant (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube
All-rounders: Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja
Bowlers: Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah