India vs Australia 2023: India’s strongest predicted playing XI against Australia

India. (Photo by DIBYANGSHU SARKAR / AFP) (Photo by DIBYANGSHU SARKAR/AFP via Getty Images)

Having taken an unassailable 3-1 lead in the ongoing five-match T20I series, India will take on Australia in the fifth T20I on Sunday, December 03 at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. After being put in to bat first, India posted a good score of 174/9 in their allotted 20 overs as Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad made valuable contributions.

In reply, Australia were restricted to 154/7 as Axar Patel (3/16, 4 overs) and Ravi Bishnoi (1/17, 4 overs) spun a web around the Aussies. Having already taken an unassailable lead in the series, India will look to finish the series with another win and continue their winning momentum. For that, they will have to once again field a strong playing XI in the fifth T20I.

Here’s India’s Predicted XI against Australia:

Openers: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Yashasvi Jaiswal

Ruturaj-Gaikwad. (Photo Source: X/Twitter)

Apart from a half-century in the second T20I, Yashasvi Jaiswal has failed to score big in the series. The southpaw was dismissed for 37 (28) in the fourth T20I and missed out on his half-century. Jaiswal has 117 runs from four innings in the series so far and will be eager to end it on a high with a big score in the final T20I.

Ruturaj Gaikwad is the leading run scorer of the series so far having scored 213 runs from four innings at an average of 71 and a strike rate of 166.40 with one hundred and one fifty to his name. During the third T20I, he became the first Indian to score a T20I hundred vs Australia with his knock of 123* (57). Gaikwad will look to further seal his spot at the top with another magnificent knock in the final T20I.

Also Read: IND vs AUS: Rinku Singh and Jitesh Sharma chew the cud post match-winning partnership in 4th T20I

Middle Order:  Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shreyas Iyer, Jitesh Sharma, Rinku Singh

Ruturaj-Gaikwad-and-Rinku-Singh. (Photo Source: X/BCCI)

Captain Suryakumar Yadav is the second-highest run scorer of the series so far with 139 runs from four innings at an average of 34.75 and a strike rate of 167.45 with one half-century to his name. The Indian skipper got dismissed for 1 (2) in the fourth T20I getting caught behind by Matthew Wade. In the last T20I captain Surya will look to lead his side from the front with another match-winning knock from his bat.

Shreyas Iyer failed to leave his mark in the last game as he got dismissed for just 8(7) holing out to long on. The 28-year-old was in remarkable form in the recently concluded ODI World Cup 2023 where he scored over 500 runs. Iyer will look to continue his brilliant form and help India win the series by 4-1 in Bengaluru.

Jitesh Sharma played a brilliant knock of 35 off 19 balls in the fourth T20I and got involved in a crucial 56-run stand off 32 balls with Rinku Singh that helped India cross the 160-run mark. The 30-year-old smacked one four and three gigantic sixes in his innings and will be eager to continue his stupendous hitting in the fifth T20I as well.

Rinku Singh has had a series to remember as he’s stood up for his team and again and played according to the situation. The southpaw has scored 99 runs from three innings so far at a strike rate of 190.38. In the last game, he missed out on his first T20I fifty and got dismissed for 46 off 29 balls. In the final game, Rinku will look to once again put his exceptional finishing prowess on display and help India clinch the series by 4-1.

All-rounder: Axar Patel

Axar Patel. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)

Also Read: ‘You’re bound to be disappointed’ – Axar Patel opens up on missing ODI World Cup 2023 due to injury

Axar Patel helped India seal the series in the fourth T20I as he scalped 3/16 in four overs dismissing Travis Head (31 off 16), Ben McDermott and Aaron Hardie. The left-arm spinner has scalped five wickets in the series so far from four innings at an average of 22 and an economy of 6.87. Patel will look to end the series with another match-winning spell in the fifth T20I.

Bowlers: Deepak Chahar, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan and Mukesh Kumar

Ravi Bishnoi. (Photo Source: Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)

Deepak Chahar was expensive in the fourth T20I as he gave away 44 runs in four overs. However, he got the big scalps of Tim David and Matthew Short at a crucial juncture. In the final match, Chahar will look to bowl a good spell with the new ball and help India win the series by 4-1.

Ravi Bishnoi has been the best bowler in the series so far as he’s scalped seven wickets from four innings at an average of 19.28 and an economy of 8.43. The wrist-spinner will look to add more wickets to his tally in the fifth T20I and help India win the series.

Avesh Khan bowled a decent spell of 1/33 in four overs in the fourth T20I. In the two matches played in the series so far, he’s scalped two wickets and leaked runs at an economy of 8.75. The right-arm seamer will look to bowl a good spell in the final T20I to help India seal the series by 4-1.

Mukesh Kumar registered expensive figures of 0/42 in four overs in the fourth T20I. In the three matches, he’s scalped just one wicket and leaked runs at an economy of 9.50. The 30-year-old will look to make amends for his low returns in the series in the final T20I and help India end the series on a winning note.

India’s predicted XI for the fifth T20I against Australia:

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