The fourth T20 clash between India and Australia is set to unfold at Raipur's Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium on December 1 (Friday) at 7:00 pm IST. India aim to secure the series victory with the return of vice-captain Shreyas Iyer after a good World Cup campaign that saw him rested for the first three T20s.
Australia's win in the third T20 has tightened the series at 2-1, courtesy of Glenn Maxwell's match-winning century leading their run chase. India, despite missing key players, are gearing up for the 2024 T20 World Cup and will look to uphold their momentum. As they have only eight T20Is left before the prestigious event, India are vying to fine-tune strategies and test combinations to finalise their squad.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj, Ishan Kishan, and skipper Suryakumar Yadav have significantly contributed to India's consistent 200-plus totals in all three encounters of the series. With the weather forecast suggesting favourable conditions, the teams are poised for a crucial faceoff.
Raipur's weather forecast for the match day indicates a hazy and warm evening with minimal chances of rain, around 4% during the day and 5% at night. There are no predictions of thunderstorms, ensuring an uninterrupted game. Temperatures will range between 19 to 31 degrees Celsius, creating comfortable playing conditions. Moderate northeast winds, averaging around 11 km/hr during the day and decreasing to 9 km/hr at night, are expected. Although gusts could reach 19 km/hr within the next 24 hours, they are unlikely to disrupt the match.
The pitch at Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium has historically provided balanced support for both batsmen and bowlers. While crossing the 200-run mark has occurred only once in T20s, this series has witnessed 200-plus totals in 5 out of 6 innings, indicating the potential for high-scoring encounters. This match will mark the first-ever T20 international at this venue.