Who said what - top 5 expert reactions on India's win in AUS vs IND 2025 4th T20I ft. Irfan Pathan

Team India produced an all-round display with the bat and ball in the fourth T20I against Australia in Queensland on Thursday, November 6. They won the match by 48 runs to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.

Asked to bat first, the Men in Blue put up 167/8 in their allotted 20 overs. Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma provided a brisk start, sharing a 56-run stand for the opening wicket. Gill top-scored with 46 off 39 deliveries, while Abhishek hit 28 off 21 balls.

Promoted to No. 3, Shivam Dube played a decent knock of 22 (18), while skipper Suryakumar Yadav contributed 20 off 10 deliveries, including two sixes off Adam Zampa in a single over. Later, all-rounder Axar Patel stayed unbeaten on 21 off 11, including a six and a four.

Nathan Ellis and Adam Zampa were the pick of the bowlers for Australia, bagging three wickets apiece. Meanwhile, Marcus Stoinis and Xavier Bartlett scalped one each.

In response, the Aussies were bundled out for 119 in 18.2 overs. The hosts got off to an impressive start as openers Matthew Short and Mitchell Marsh scored 25 (19) and 30 (24), respectively. However, they kept losing wickets at regular intervals following the departure of the two openers.

Washington Sundar starred with the ball for India, returning with figures of 3/3 in his 1.2 overs, while Axar Patel and Shivam Dube picked up two wickets apiece. Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, and Varun Chakaravarthy took one each.

Axar was adjudged Player of the Match for his all-round display.

Following the win, several former cricketers, including Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammad Kaif, and Irfan Pathan, lauded Suryakumar Yadav and company.

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Irfan Pathan

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has lauded skipper Suryakumar Yadav for his captaincy in the fourth T20I. The cricketer-turned-analyst commended him for using his bowlers wisely. Speaking on his YouTube channel, the 2007 T20 World Cup winner said:

"He played every card well. The left-handers came, those that batted with Marcus Stoinis; he brought Washington Sundar then. He played every move by looking forward, and every captain needs to be ahead of the game." "Suryakumar Yadav’s captaincy always looked one step ahead of Australia and the game. It’s a major positive, keeping in mind the World Cup, because Suryakumar looks quite confident as captain," he added.

Ravichandran Ashwin

Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin also lauded skipper Suryakumar Yadav for his 10-ball 20 in the context of the match. The legendary spinner also lauded Axar Patel for his exploits with the ball, lauding him for his technical genius. The 2011 World Cup champion said on his YouTube channel:

“10 balls for 20 from Suryakumar Yadav was extremely valuable. I always think in T20 cricket, 10 balls for 20 at a 200-strike rate is more valuable… I would always think 10 balls for 20 is way more valuable than a strike rate of less than 125, 120, or 130 in a T20 game, unless, of course, you are chasing a game… So, credit where it’s due, but I am happy with Surya’s 10-balls-20, what he could do, he did.” “One thing I noticed about Axar is that batsmen are getting done on the inside, especially right-handers. Always, if you look at left-arm spinners bowling to right-handers, when they bowl quickly, the ball comes inside like an arm ball. But for Axar, even when he bowls slower, the ball drops and comes in slowly like that… “So Axar’s beauty is in the changing of pace, but still not allowing the ball to go on the same line. Either the ball stops and spins a little, or the ball stops and comes inside on the same line,” he added.

Kris Srikkanth

Former India cricketer Kris Srikkanth lauded Shivam Dube for his all-round performance with the bat and ball. Speaking on his YouTube channel, the 1983 World Cup winner said:

"He bowled intelligently to get the wicket of Tim David. It was a slow bouncer into the body. Last match, David smashed sixes off the front foot from outside the off-stump. So once it was slow into the body, he miscued the big hit. He has the wicket-taking luck. He bowls something but ends up picking up wickets." "He came just to hit sixes off Zampa. His role is when a Zampa or a left-arm spinner comes, go for sixes. But we have to wait and watch where so much shuffling of the batting order will lead to," he added.

Abhishek Nayar

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)’s newly appointed head coach Abhishek Nayar has credited Shivam Dube for stepping up in the absence of Hardik Pandya (injured). The former Indian cricketer said on JioStar (via Hindustan Times):

“We always say that Hardik Pandya is the kind of all-rounder that India requires. But game after game, Shivam Dube has shown that he can be that all-rounder as well. You don’t really feel the absence of Hardik Pandya because Shivam bowls important overs, takes key wickets, and contributes with the bat in different situations.” “Today again, he scored crucial runs and took two big wickets when Australia were looking to accelerate. Whenever he has been challenged by this Indian team management, he has come up with flying colours. He may not be tagged as ‘the all-rounder’, but he does everything that an Indian all-rounder needs to do,” he added.

Mohammad Kaif

Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has lauded Axar Patel, calling him a proven all-rounder. While reminding everyone about his heroics with the bat in the 2024 T20 World Cup final against South Africa (47 runs off 31 balls), the 44-year-old said on his YouTube channel:

“You can play Axar anywhere. He took the team to a par score with his knock, and they got momentum. I feel he is very underrated. We praise Hardik and Jadeja a lot, but I feel Axar has become a true and proven all-rounder. Many players are being groomed on this tour, but Axar is already proven. It is good for India because even in the World Cup, Axar played a big role in the final with Virat Kohli.”

Kaif also lauded Suryakumar Yadav for stepping up as a leader in the crunch game, especially while defending a modest total of 167. The 44-year-old continued:

“Surya faced a big test as captain, which he passed. I have closely followed the match ball by ball, and he did good captaincy, especially talking about bowling changes. He knew that if they lost this match, they would not win the series, and if they won, this was a do-or-die match.Surya Kumar knew that if they won, they wouldn’t lose the series. Even if they played badly, the next match will be a draw. I saw him talking a lot.” “Shivam Dube was scolded severely on the ground when he was hit for a six off a short ball. He was told to bowl with focus. He looked desperate, and a captain must show that desperation because Dube was not bowling continuously; they are building him as an all-rounder. Very good captaincy and proper use of Dube in today's match,” he added.

India will next face Australia in the fifth and final T20I at The Gabba in Brisbane on Saturday, November 8.

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Edited by James Kuanal