Team India took a 2-1 T20I series lead over Australia with a 48-run win. Despite Gill's cautious 46 and Yadav's struggles, India defended 167/8 brilliantly, thanks to a dominant spin attack and Axar Patel's vital lower-order contribution.

Team India has taken an unassailable T20I series lead 2-1 following a 48-run win over Australia in the penultimate match of the five-match series at Carrara Oval in Queensland on Thursday, November 6.

After posting a total of 167/8 in 20 overs, Team India successfully managed to defend it as the visitors' bowling attack bundled out the hosts for 119 in 18.2 overs, securing a comprehensive victory and putting them just one win away from clinching the series with the fifth and final T20I at The Gabba in Brisbane. Washington Sundar led the bowling attack with a spell of 3/3 at an economy rate of 2.2 in 1.2 overs.

Axar Patel (2/21) and Shivam Dube (2/20) picked two wickets each, while Varun Chakravarthy (1/26), Jasprit Bumrah (1/27), and (1/22) picked a wicket each. As Team India took a series lead, let's take a look at key takeaways from the Men in Blue's win over Australia in the fourth T20I.

Team India vice-captain Shubman Gill's performance has come under heavy scrutiny following his cautious approach in the fourth T20I in Queensland. Gill played an innings of 46 off 39 balls, including four boundaries and a six, at a modest strike rate of 117.25. However, the 26-year-old slowed down his innings after the powerplay, which many believed hindered India's chances of posting a solid total on the board.

Before the powerplay, Gill smashed four boundaries, but after the first six overs, India's T20I vice-captain smashed only one six, failing to accelerate the scoring rate and drawing criticism from fans for his cautious approach. Since his return to the T20I side for the Asia Cup 2025, Shubman Gill has aggregated just 230 runs at an average of 25.11 in 11 matches.

Suryakumar Yadav has continued to struggle with his form in the ongoing T20I series against Australia. In four matches, India's T20I captain registered the scores of 39*, 1, 24, and 20, aggregating just 84 runs at an average of 28.00, raising concerns over his consistency in the shortest format. Suryakumar's yet another modest performance with the bat in the fourth T20I further sparked debate on his form.

Ever since taking over full-time T20I captaincy in July last year, Suryakumar Yadav's form has been dwindling as he has amassed 414 runs, including 2 fifties, at an average of 19.71 in 26 matches. This is a stark contrast to his pre-captaincy performance, wherein he aggregated 2040 runs, including 3 centuries, at an average of 43.40 in 61 matches.

The spin bowling all-rounder Axar Patel provided stability in the lower order after India's batting witnessed a minor collapse. India were at 121/3 following Shubman Gill's dismissal before they were reduced to 136/6 in 16.4 overs. Axar walked in to bat when the innings were under pressure, but he stepped up and protected India from further collapse.

Axar stitched a crucial 18-run partnership for the seventh wicket with Washington Sundar (12) to take India past the 150-run mark before the latter's dismissal at 154/7. Thereafter, Axar carried on his innings to help India post a defendable total on the bat. The southpaw played a crucial quickfire innings of 21* off 11 balls, including a six and a four, at a strike rate of 190.91.

India's spin bowling attack of Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, and Varun Chakravarthy dominated Australia's batting line-up, picking up key wickets at regular intervals and bundling the hosts for 119 in 18.2 overs. The spin trio picked six wickets together, with Axar leading the charge, Chakravarthy taking a crucial wicket of Glenn Maxwell, and Washington Sundar wrapping up the tail with three wickets.

The spin bowlers controlled the game beautifully, applying pressure at every stage, and ensuring Australia never recovered the momentum, sealing a comprehensive win for the Men in Blue.

After taking a 2-1 lead in the five-match T20I series, the Suryakumar Yadav-led Men in Blue will look to wrap up the white-ball tour of Australia by winning the fifth and final T20I at The Gabba, aiming to clinch the series and maintain their dominant form on Australian soil. After losing the ODI series 1-2, Team India will look to bounce back strongly in the final T20I, ending the tour on a high.

Team India has never lost a T20I series on Australian soil in the previous three tours Down Under, and will aim to continue that unbeaten streak, using the final match to assert their dominance and finish the tour with confidence.

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