Unchanged Australia looking to share spoils as rain looms

Australia will be looking to finish a significant block of T20I cricket on a positive note by taking an unchanged side into the fifth BKT Tyres T20I in Brisbane.

Home skipper Mitch Marsh won the toss again and opted to field first with a thick band of rain threatening to fall on the Gabba.

India, who hold a 2-1 lead in the series, made just one change after their 48-run win on the Gold Coast, bringing in Rinku Singh for his first match of the tour in place of Tilak Varma.

After tonight, the Aussies will have played 16 matches in the format since the stretch began with a 5-0 win in the West Indies in July.

Australia XI: Matt Short, Mitch Marsh (c), Josh Philippe, Josh Inglis (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Tim David, Marcus Stoinis, Ben Dwarshuis, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa

 

India XI: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah

They've assessed a 10-3 win-loss record in that time (with two washouts) but now won't play 20-over until a three-match series against Pakistan on the eve of the T20 World Cup in February.

Despite two losses in a row in this series, the home squad are comfortable with the direction in which they're heading.

"The setup and the environment at the moment, it doesn't get any better," Nathan Ellis said on Thursday night when asked about preparation for next year's showpiece tournament. 

"The last block of games, from the West Indies through South Africa into here, it feels like it's gone quick, but it also feels like it's two years ago.

"(It's a) great team to be a part of. We're in a really good spot, and we've also got depth.

"So as far as it goes, planning and leading into a World Cup, you probably couldn't be better placed."

Adam Zampa returned to the XI for the fourth match in the Gold Coast 24 hours after welcoming his second child, a girl named Cecilia, into the world.

There was a thought that Zampa may miss the entire series due to the impending arrival so to get two extra games into their star leg-spinner would be seen as a win for the Aussies.

"A three-one series defeat would be not where we're at," Zampa told ABC Sport after the loss on Thursday.

"But if we can get a win on Saturday, it will end the series on high."

India have plenty more 20-over games to come; they will host South Africa for a five-match T20I series in December.

Australia v India T20Is 2025

October 29: No result

October 31: Australia won by four wickets

November 2: India won by five wickets

November 6: India won by 48 runs

November 8: Fifth T20I v India, The Gabba, Brisbane, 7:15pm AEDT

Australia squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Sean Abbott (games 1-3), Xavier Bartlett, Mahli Beardman (games 3-5), Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis (games 4-5), Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood (games 1-2), Ben McDermott (standby player) Glenn Maxwell (games 3-5), Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Matthew Kuhnemann, Mitchell Owen, Josh Philippe (wk), Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Tanveer Sangha

India squad: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson (wk), Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar