Shivam Dube Credits Team Strategy for Bowling Brilliance in AUS vs IND 4th T20I

All-rounder Shivam Dube expressed satisfaction with India’s total, considering the ground dimensions, and praised the bowlers for executing their plans perfectly to secure a victory over Australia in the fourth T20I in Carrara on Thursday.

India defended a modest total with a constrictive bowling display, achieving a 48-run win against Australia and securing an unassailable 2-1 lead in the five-match series.

“Scoring 167 on this ground is definitely competitive, especially given the quality of our bowling attack—both spinners and fast bowlers. I have complete trust in them,” Dube remarked during the post-match press conference.

In the match report, Axar Patel’s all-round excellence was highlighted as a key factor in India’s 48-run triumph over Australia.

Dube added, “In T20 games, any batter can explode, but on this ground, where the side boundaries are large, we had a well-thought-out plan, and we were confident we could contain them.”

Elaborating on India’s bowling strategy, Dube mentioned, “The goal was to bowl on the sides with bigger boundaries, because hitting big would be challenging. The boundaries were over 80 meters long, so even good connections wouldn’t guarantee success. The strategy was to bowl intelligently and encourage set batters to target the larger sides rather than the smaller ones.”

Dube credited head coach Gautam Gambhir, bowling coach Morne Morkel, and T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav for their support, which boosted his confidence as a bowler.

“When given the chance to bowl, Morne, Gautam, and Surya had prepared an effective plan for me. Morne provided valuable tips that improved my bowling,” he shared.

Dube, promoted to No. 3 in the batting order, contributed with a steady innings of 22 runs off 18 balls.

“In training, I focused on handling short balls due to the bounce differences compared to India. It’s my first tour, and I’m adapting quickly. That was a crucial phase, as scoring slowed and I expected Adam Zampa to bowl. I avoided risks against the fast bowlers since they targeted the side boundaries. The plan was to keep the strike rotating against fast bowlers and attack the spinners,” Dube explained.