India vs Australia, 3rd T20I: Harshal Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal's Form In Focus Ahead Of Series Decider Against Australia

24.09.2022 - 09:45 sports.ndtv.com

India will be hoping their key bowlers, Harshal Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal, are back to their best when the hosts take on Australia in the series-deciding third T20 International in Hyderabad on Sunday.

India were able to plug the gaps in Nagpur to level the three-match series with a comprehensive win in the eight-over-a-side contest.

But they will need their bowlers, especially Harshal and Chahal, to overcome their struggles ahead of the T20 World Cup. India had got off to an electric start in the last game with Axar Patel bowling a fiery two-over spell that included a couple of wickets but they are struggling at the back end of the innings.

While Jasprit Bumrah is sure to carry the responsibility, senior seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar's poor show at the death overs is a real concern.

cricket Australia Cricket Team 2022 focus Rohit Sharma Australia India Hyderabad

Harshal Patel has gone from strength to strength over the last few years. With consistent performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the 31-year-old has become a consistent feature in the Indian T20I team. With the 2022 T20 World Cup just around the corner and Jasprit Bumrah ruled out due to injury, all eyes will be on Harshal. He has been known as a bowler who can consistely bowl the slower ball to fox the batters. In an interview with ESPNcricinfo, Harshal revealed various facets of bowling a slower delivery and how he would use it differently against Virat Kohli.

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Indian batter Shreyas Iyer climbed three spots to reach number 33 and spinner Kuldeep Yadav also jumped five places to enter the top 25 in the latest ICC Men's ODI Players Rankings issued on Wednesday. Shreyas Iyer finished as the leading run-scorer in the recently-concluded ODI series against South Africa, scoring 191 runs in three matches with a century and fifty. Kuldeep Yadav also emerged out of the series as the leading wicket-taker with six scalps in three matches.

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India vs South Africa 3rd T20I: India lose first game chasing at home in 17 matches

Rilee Rossouw's 48-ball ton fashions SA's 49-run win in dead rubberINDORE: In a city supposed to be a heaven for foodies, South Africa, powered by Rilee Rossouw's murderous 48-ball unbeaten 100-his maiden century in T20Is 'feasted' on a listless India to record a morale-boosting 49-run win in the third and final T20I at the Holkar Stadium here on Tuesday night. SCORECARD | AS IT HAPPENEDEven though it was a dead rubber with India having already bagged the series, the convincing defeat in what was the hosts' final T20I going into the T20 World Cup in Australia, will leave the Men in Blue sweating over their pacers' pathetic form. How badly India's seam bowling department is grappling with injuries and consistency at the moment was evident at the toss when skipper Rohit Sharma revealed that Arshdeep, who had been 'recuperating' at the National Cricket Academy during the Australia series, had a slight niggle in the back and missed the game.

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Why Is Arshdeep Singh Not Playing 3rd T20I Against South Africa? Rohit Sharma Explains

With the series already in the bag, the 3rd T20I against South Africa offers the Indian team an opportunity to test some of their reserves. The likes of KL Rahul and Virat Kohli were already expected to give the match in Indore a miss but Arshdeep Singh's absence came as a surprise.