India look to bounce back in third T20I against Australia

After a forgettable outing in the second T20I against Australia, India will be looking to capitalise on the absence of Josh Hazlewood, with the star quick no longer part of the series, even as the continued exclusion of left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh remains a major talking point ahead of the third T20I at Hobart on Sunday.

Hazlewood has been released from the squad to rest ahead of the upcoming Ashes, where he will shoulder a heavy workload across five Tests, starting November 21 in Perth. His absence removes a significant threat as the Australian quick had troubled Indian batters with his relentless discipline, steep bounce and ability to hit the ideal length repeatedly.

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“That’s a relief, honestly. I’ve never faced that kind of accuracy,” opener Abhishek Sharma admitted after the defeat in Melbourne. Without Hazlewood, India will instead contend with bowlers like Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis and Sean Abbott, still capable, but without the same control.

The venue for the third T20I, Hobart’s Bellerive Oval, brings its own challenges. Smaller square boundaries mean anything short can disappear over point or mid-wicket, placing even greater emphasis on length control. The ground is also home turf for Ellis in the Big Bash League, adding a layer of familiarity for the Australian pacer.

On the Indian side, the team’s insistence on extending the batting lineup at the cost of a frontline bowler has drawn scrutiny. In the low-scoring defeat at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, India fielded three spinners and left out Arshdeep again, despite him being the only Indian with 100 T20I wickets. Harshit Rana, preferred for his lower-order hitting, batted at No. 7 and scored a fighting 35 off 33, but his bowling remained inconsistent.

The stats further expose the selection question: India’s No. 8 batter has faced, on average, just five deliveries per match over the past 15–20 games, raising doubts about whether such batting depth is worth compromising the bowling attack.

Head coach Gautam Gambhir is believed to view Harshit as a long-term asset, but conditions in Hobart, where the open side of the ground encourages swing, may finally push the management to field Arshdeep and drop a spinner.

Squads:

Australia: Mitchell Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Mahli Beardman, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Glenn Maxwell, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Mitchell Owen, Josh Philippe, Tanveer Sangha, Matthew Short, and Marcus Stoinis.

India: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Arshdeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar.