Shubman Gill is searching for rhythm in Australia, and so far, he hasn’t found it. Against pace and bounce, his trademark fluency has given way to hesitation — a rare sight for a batter who thrives on control.Every time he has taken guard on these Australian pitches — both the ODI leg as well as the ongoing T20 one — it feels like a song playing a halfbeat off tempo. For a player built on timing, balance and stillness, this is unfamiliar territory. Gill isn’t struggling for form so much as for fluency.
The quintessential Australian pace and bounce have interrupted his flow. The problem isn’t that Gill can’t handle fast bowling or fast pitches — far from it. He’s proven himself on quicker tracks before, in Tests and ODIs. But T20 cricket demands instant rhythm, which has eluded him on Australia’s hard, bouncy wickets. The extra lift off the surface, especially in the first few overs when the Kookaburra is new, has consistently upset his balance and stroke preparation.It’s also a mental battle. Gill’s trademark composure seems to have been replaced by a flicker of overthinking. He knows he’s due for a big innings. He knows the murmurs have begun — about Yashasvi Jaiswal waiting in the wings, about his place in India’s T20 hierarchy. That knowledge adds weight to every delivery faced.On Thursday, under the floodlights of the Carrara Oval in Gold Coast, Gill will have another opportunity to put to rest the doubts when India takes on Australia in the fourth T20I with the five-match series delicately poised at 1-1.Having won the third T20I in Hobart, India carry both momentum and opportunity in equal measure. The Australians will be missing two of their most impactful names in limited-overs cricket — Travis Head and Josh Hazlewood — and the visitors will genuinely sense a chance to go 2-1 up before the finale in Gabba, Brisbane.If Gill has been under the scanner, his opening partner Abhishek Sharma has grabbed the spotlight. The young left-hander has justified his billing as the world’s top-ranked T20 batter with a fine half-century and two brisk starts. His intent at the top has consistently set the tone, attacking the Australian new-ball pair from the outset and freeing up India’s middle-order.In the third game in Hobart, Washington Sundar’s inclusion proved decisive. Sundar’s explosive 23-ball 49 was the turning point in India’s chase, underlining how valuable a multi-skilled cricketer can be in the shortest format.The return of Arshdeep Singh has also added solidity to the bowling unit. The left-armer’s ability to swing the new ball and get wickets in the Powerplay is worth its weight in gold. His variations at the death and ability to bowl accurate yorkers give India a much-needed control element that was missing in the first couple of games in the series.Meanwhile, Kuldeep Yadav, who was part of the squad, has been sent back to India to prepare for the upcoming Test series against South Africa. The team management has struggled to find the ideal combination involving both Kuldeep and Arshdeep, as playing both reduces batting depth — a crucial factor in modern T20 cricket.Australia, on the other hand, are in a bit of a fix. Travis Head’s unavailability — as he turns his attention to Sheffield Shield ahead of the Ashes — leaves a gaping hole at the top. His explosive starts have been central to Australia’s white-ball template, and his absence will likely pair skipper Mitchell Marsh with Matthew Short, who has batted down the order so far in the series.In the bowling department, Hazlewood’s absence was acutely felt in Hobart. Without their premier seamer, Australia’s attack lacked the cutting edge as India chased down 186 with ease. Sean Abbott failed to make an impact, and one among Ben Dwarshuis or the exciting Mahli Beardman could come in to freshen up the attack. Beardman’s extra pace offers the kind of X-factor Australia might look to inject into their attack.
