Spinner Matthew Kuhnemann expects Australia’s bowlers will put an end to India’s batting star Abhishek Sharma’s fireworks in the fourth Twenty20 International on Thursday at the Bill Pippen Oval in Gold Coast.
In the current T20I series against Australia, Abhishek has been India’s driving force. Before hitting an entertaining 68 from 37 balls in India’s total of 125 in the second match, he made 19 from 14 balls in the first game, which was washed out due to rain.
He hit 25 off of 16 balls to give India a head start in their quest of 187, which they accomplished in 18.3 overs to win by five wickets and level the five-match series 1-1.
With 112 runs at a strike rate of 167.16 with 14 fours and five sixes, the left-hander is the series’ top run scorer so far.
In T20Is, Abhishek is the top batter in the world. With 705 runs at a strike rate of 200.85 in 15 games, including a century and five fifties, he has been unstoppable with the bat in 2025.
Kuhnemann hopes Ben Dwarshuis and pacer Xavier Bartlett can use the new ball to cheaply dismiss the dangerous Abhishek.
“Yeah, it’s crucial. It’s such a big game now. In T20 cricket, you talk about momentum. We’re trying to wrestle that back from India at the moment and hopefully win the next two games. Hopefully, it’s Xavier Bartlett or one of the quicks, Benny Dwarshuis, who can take his wicket in the first couple of overs,” said the Australia spinner on Tuesday.
“He’s (Abhishek) a serious talent, and he just goes so hard from ball one. It’s going to be a great spectacle on Thursday, but hopefully those boys can get him cheaply,” he added.
The middle overs will be vital for both teams, according to Kuhnemann, since Australia and India are playing a similar style of cricket.
“Yeah, I think the way they’re playing is sort of similar to how we’re playing as well. They’re very explosive, I think, from ball one now. The game’s changing rapidly, and you can sort of tell the players a lot. Players like how Timmy David went about it and just go hard from ball one, like I said. Yeah, I think taking wickets is crucial for both teams in the middle order,” he stated.
