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India and Australia lock horns in the all-important 4th Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on Thursday, March 9, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
After the Aussies won the battle at Indore to bring the series to 2-1, it’s all to play for in the Final Test, more so for India, with a place in the WTC Final at stake.
One can’t say that the Indore defeat was a shock for India, with Australia in a commanding position even in the 2nd Test at Delhi before their collapse early on Day 3. However, stand-in captain Steve Smith was on the money with the rotation of his bowlers and the field settings right from Day 1, although the DRS calls from both teams needed work.
India was bowled out for paltry scores in both innings, although the batters’ failure on a rank turner shouldn’t receive too much criticism. However, it was surprising to see Ashwin and Jadeja struggle to hit the correct lengths, with the less experienced Todd Murphy and Matthew Kuhnemann doing so easily, even as Nathan Lyon bowled one of his best spells to condemn India to defeat.
Plenty of pundits commented that on a wicket like Indore, which received a ‘Poor’ rating from the ICC, the skills of the spinners from both teams were equalized, and the side that batted better ended up taking the game.
With that said, there’s a lot to consider and introspect for India, given that this is a must-win game for them. Australia will head into this one quietly confident of causing another upset and avoiding defeat in another Test series in India.
Match Details
Date: March 9-13, 2023
Time: 9:30 AM IST
Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
Weather Forecast
There’s likely to be little respite for the players on all five days of the match from the sweltering heat in Ahmedabad. The temperature should be around 35 degrees celsius for most of the five days, and the players should take good care of their hydration.
Pitch Report
After the poor pitch at Indore, the curators at Ahmedabad won’t want to prepare a rank turner, especially with the dignitaries in attendance for this historic Final Test. While the wicket will certainly be spinner-friendly and slow, expect it to be a tad more balanced and start turning from the end of Day 2 or Day 3.
Probable XIs:
India
India has hardly needed their fifth bowling option in most of their matches so far, and they could opt to play an extra batter in Suryakumar Yadav or hand out a debut to Ishan Kishan in place of Mohammed Siraj. It’ll be harsh if Kishan replaces KS Bharat, and the Karnataka keeper should keep the gloves for the 4th Test.
Umesh Yadav was impressive in Mohammed Shami’s absence in the 3rd Test, and it’s a toss-up between the two seamers for this game.
India: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav/Ishan Kishan, KS Bharat (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, and Umesh Yadav/Mohammed Shami.
Australia
The introduction of Cameron Green in the playing XI provided the Aussies with much-needed balance both from a batting and a bowling perspective. With Travis Head impressing as an opener and the three spinners coming good, they’re unlikely to mess with the winning combination for this crucial match.
Australia: Usman Khawaja, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith (C), Peter Handscomb, Alex Carey (WK), Cameron Green, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Kuhenmann, Todd Murphy, and Nathan Lyon.
Match Prediction
The pitch should be more balanced, similar to the first two Tests, and that will bring out the superiority of the Indian spinners compared to their less experienced counterparts. India has always fared well in series deciders, especially at home, and it’ll be a big surprise if they slip up once more and hand Australia a chance to level the series. Expect Rohit Sharma and co. to win this match and the Border Gavaskar Trophy.
Prediction: India to win the 4th Test match and take the series 3-1.
TV and Live Streaming Details
TV: Star Sports Network
Live Streaming: Disney+ Hotstar
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