IND vs AUS Live Score, 3rd T20I: India look to level series against Australia in Hobart

IND vs AUS Live Score, 3rd T20I: The absence of Josh Hazlewood, Australia’s wrecker-in-chief at the MCG, comes as a major relief for India ahead of the third T20I in Hobart. Hazlewood, who troubled the Indian batters with his disciplined length and steep bounce, has been rested to prepare for the upcoming Ashes. His omission means India’s struggling top order — especially Suryakumar Yadav and Shubman Gill — will get a chance to rebuild confidence against a relatively inexperienced pace attack comprising Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, and Sean Abbott. The venue, Hobart’s Bellerive Oval, is known for its small side boundaries and batting-friendly track. It was here that Virat Kohli played his famous 133* in 2012, cementing his reputation as a master chaser. With conditions expected to favour stroke play, India will look to put on a much-improved performance after folding for 125 in Melbourne.

Yet, the continued omission of left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh has puzzled many. Despite being the only Indian with 100 T20I wickets, Arshdeep remains benched, with the team management preferring batting depth. Critics like Ravichandran Ashwin have questioned the decision, suggesting India’s balance has suffered. With Harshit Rana’s inconsistent bowling and Hobart’s open layout aiding swing, India might reconsider its combination and bring Arshdeep back into the fold.

Squads:

India: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Arshdeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar.

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