Shubman Gill's Struggles Continue as India Levels T20 Series Against Australia

Shubman Gill's Ongoing Run Drought

Shubman Gill, the vice-captain of the Indian T20 team, faced another disappointing outing in the third T20I against Australia held in Hobart, scoring only 15 runs off 12 balls before being dismissed lbw by Nathan Ellis during the power play. His performance followed a mere five runs in the previous T20I, which India lost by four wickets, while the first match was abandoned due to rain. Since making his T20I return at the Asia Cup 2025 in September after nearly a year away, Gill has struggled significantly, accumulating just 184 runs across 10 innings with an average of 23 and a strike rate of 146, his highest score being 47. Overall, in 31 T20I matches, he has scored 762 runs at an average of 28.22 and a strike rate of 140.85, including three fifties and one century. Prior to this T20 series, Gill also had a tough time in the three-match ODI series against Australia, where he managed only 43 runs in three innings, averaging 14.33.

Match Overview: Australia vs India Australia Sets a Challenging Target

In the match, India won the toss and chose to bowl first. After a strong performance from pacer Arshdeep Singh, who took 3 wickets for 35 runs, Australia built crucial partnerships. A 59-run partnership between skipper Mitch Marsh (11) and Tim David (74 off 38 balls, featuring eight fours and five sixes) was pivotal, along with a 64-run stand between Marcus Stoinis (64 off 39 balls, with eight fours and two sixes) and Matt Short (26 not out off 15 balls, including two fours and a six), leading Australia to a total of 186/6 in their 20 overs.

India's Chase and Sundar's Heroics

During the chase, India saw contributions from Abhishek Sharma (25 off 16 balls, with two fours and two sixes), skipper Suryakumar Yadav (24 off 11 balls, including a four and two sixes), and Tilak Varma (29 off 26 balls, with a four and a six). At one point, India was in a precarious position at 145/5 in the 15th over. However, Washington Sundar's explosive innings of 49 not out off 23 balls, which included three fours and four sixes, along with Jitesh Sharma's 22 not out off 13 balls, helped India secure the win. This victory levels the series at 1-1, with two matches remaining.