5th T20I: Can Australia avoid series defeat against India?
What's the story
The final match of the five-match T20I series between India and Australia will be played at The Gabba in Brisbane on Saturday. Team India currently leads the series 2-1 and is looking to seal it with a win in this match. Australia put up a strong show in the second T20I but couldn't maintain their momentum in the next two matches. They now aim to level the series. Here is the match preview.
Pitch analysis
Venue, pitch report and streaming details
The Gabba is known for its excellent cricketing surface with consistent bounce and carry, making it a pacer's paradise. Batters also enjoy the reliable bounce of the wicket. However, as the match wears on, it may slow down a bit, which could give an edge to teams batting first. The match, which will get underway at 1:45pm IST, will be telecast live on Star Sports Networks in India, with live streaming available on the JioHotstar app and website.
Match dynamics
India aim to seal series in Brisbane
After a defeat in the second T20I, India bounced back strongly with Washington Sundar's brilliant innings in the third match and a dominant bowling performance in the fourth. With momentum on their side, they will look to end the tour on a high note by sealing the series at The Gabba. On the other hand, Australia are without many of their frontline players, who are focusing on the upcoming Ashes.
Concerns
Concerns over Australia's batting against spin
Australia's aggressive batting strategy has been ineffective on the slower Gold Coast pitch, resulting in a heavy defeat in the fourth T20I. Indian spinners Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel, and Sundar wreaked havoc on Australia's batting order. The loss has raised concerns over Australia's ability to handle quality spin bowling ahead of the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka..
H2H
Here's the head-to-head record
The two teams have locked horns in 36 T20Is to date, with India winning 22. While Australia have prevailed in 12 games, two were abandoned. According to ESPNcricinfo, India have a 9-5 win-loss record against Australia Down Under. They also lead 10-6 against Australia at home. Notably, Australia have never defeated India in a home T20I series (multiple matches).
Team line-ups
A look at the probable XIs
India's predicted playing XI: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Shivam Dube, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah. Australia's predicted playing XI: Mitchell Marsh (c), Matthew Short, Josh Inglis (wk), Tim David, Josh Philippe, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Ben Dwarshuis, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa.
Stats
Here are the key performers
With 733 runs at an impressive strike rate of 197.04, Abhishek Sharma is India's leading run-getter in T20Is this year. Mitchell Marsh's 454 T20I runs in 2025 have come at an average of 37.83 and a strike rate of 158.18. With nine wickets at 11.44, Nathan Ellis is the leading wicket-taker of the ongoing series. Varun Chakravarthy is India's most successful bowler in the ongoing series, having scalped five wickets at 16.40.
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