Australian spinner Matthew Kuhnemann believes an early breakthrough against Abhishek Sharma will be key when India and Australia meet in the 4th T20I at Bill Pippen Oval, Gold Coast, on Thursday, November 6. Abhishek has been India’s most consistent performer with the bat in the ongoing series, adjusting impressively to Australia’s challenging conditions.
The series opener in Canberra was washed out, while Australia clinched a tight four-wicket win in the second match. Even in the rain-hit first game, Abhishek showed his intent early, smashing four boundaries in his 19 off 14 before falling to Nathan Ellis.
Abhishek Sharma’s Consistent Firepower Impresses Australia
During the second T20I, while most of India’s batting order collapsed against the Australian quicks, Abhishek Sharma countered with controlled aggression. His 68 off just 37 balls stood out as one of the finest knocks of the series despite India falling short. In the third encounter, chasing a stiff 187-run target, he once again gave India a flying start, smashing 25 runs from 16 balls with two sixes and two fours. His momentum at the top helped India cruise to a five-wicket victory with nine balls remaining, leveling the series 1-1.
Acknowledging Abhishek’s influence, Kuhnemann expressed hope that Australia’s pacers could remove him early.
“Yeah, it’s crucial. It’s such a big game now. In T20 cricket, you talk about momentum. We’re trying to wrestle that back from India at the moment and hopefully win the next two games. Hopefully, it’s Xavier Bartlett or one of the quicks, Benny Dwarshuis, who can take his wicket in the first couple of overs. He’s (Abhishek) a serious talent, and he just goes so hard from ball one. It’s going to be a great spectacle on Thursday, but hopefully those boys can get him cheaply,” Kuhnemann said while speaking to reporters on Tuesday.
Middle-Order Battle Could Decide the 4th T20I
Kuhnemann believes both sides now play a similar aggressive brand of cricket, making middle-order breakthroughs vital.
“Yeah, I think the way they’re playing is sort of similar to how we’re playing as well. They’re very explosive, I think, from ball one now. The game’s changing rapidly, and you can sort of tell the players a lot. Players like how Timmy David went about it and just go hard from ball one, like I said. Yeah, I think taking wickets is crucial for both teams in the middle order,” Kuhnemann added.
Australia will be without Travis Head, who has left to play in the Sheffield Shield ahead of the Ashes. Meanwhile, India’s key spinner Kuldeep Yadav has been released to join the India A vs South Africa A four-day series.
Stay tuned for all the latest Sports News, follow SportsNewsTime on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram