NEW DELHI: India stand on the brink of another overseas series triumph as they aim to wrap up their Australia tour in style when the two teams meet for the fifth and final T20I in Brisbane on Saturday.

Having taken an unassailable 2-1 lead in the five-match series, Suryakumar Yadav's men have ensured their remarkable 17-year unbeaten record in bilateral T20I series on Australian soil remains intact. The visitors will now look to finish the campaign with authority.

Learnt from past mistakes, don't let boundary size dictate shot selection: Axar Patel

All eyes will be on captain Suryakumar and opener Shubman Gill, whose form remains a talking point. Australia, on the other hand, will be eager to counter India's potent spin attack in what is their final T20I meeting before the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

India showcased smart game awareness in the previous match, adapting well to the tricky Carrara surface. Gill provided a solid start, helping India reach 121 for 2 in 14 overs before a late collapse saw them lose four wickets for just 15 runs.

For Gill, the 46-run knock was a timely return to rhythm after a string of low scores - he has now gone seven innings without a half-century.

Gill has yet to rediscover the effortless fluency that has long been the hallmark of his batting. Though he appeared in control during the previous game, a well-disguised slower delivery brought his promising innings to an end. The opener will be eager to finish the tour on a high note and dispel any doubts lingering within the team management.

Unstoppable! India keep perfect T20I record intact in Australia

Suryakumar Yadav, too, has shown glimpses of his trademark flair throughout the series but hasn't quite managed to convert his starts into substantial scores. As captain, he'll be keen to lead from the front and bat with greater freedom, especially with the upcoming South Africa series looming next month.

Tilak Varma is another batter who is yet to find his rhythm, managing scores of 0, 29, and 5 in his last three outings.

The pressure will also be on wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma, who has featured ahead of Sanju Samson in the last two games but is yet to make a substantial impact.

Abhishek Sharma, however, has lived up to his reputation as the world's top-ranked T20 hitter, scoring a fluent half-century and providing brisk starts.

India's lower order has also chipped in effectively, with Axar Patel smashing an 11-ball 21 in the previous match. The presence of all-rounders at No. 7 and No. 8 has given the team valuable flexibility and depth.

In the bowling department, Arshdeep Singh has once again proved his worth for India, picking up four wickets and forming an effective new-ball pairing with Jasprit Bumrah.

The spin trio of Varun, Axar, and Washington has been a major strength for India despite the absence of Kuldeep Yadav. Both Shivam Dube and Washington have been instrumental with bat and ball.

While Dube's 23-ball 49 turned the third T20I in India's favour, Washington's 3 for 3 in the fourth sealed the contest. Dube also contributed 18 off 22 and took two wickets in that game.

For Australia, the fourth T20I once again exposed their weakness against quality spin. Varun Chakravarthy, Axar, and Washington Sundar combined to take six wickets in under 10 overs at the Carrara Oval.

The visitors' batting has been heavily reliant on skipper Mitchell Marsh, Marcus Stoinis, and Tim David. The absence of Travis Head hurt their chances in the last game, as they failed to chase down a modest 168.

All-rounder Matthew Short, who has enjoyed success as an opener, batted lower down the order in this series but missed an opportunity to impress at the top in Head's absence. He will be keen to make amends on Saturday.

The absence of Josh Hazlewood has also been felt, as the home team's bowling attack has lacked penetration.

Nathan Ellis and Adam Zampa have shouldered much of the responsibility, but Ben Dwarshuis went wicket-less in the fourth T20I. The hosts might consider handing a debut to Mahli Beardman in the final game.

Teams (from):

India: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill (VC), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson (WK), Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar.

Australia: Mitchell Marsh (C), Matthew Short, Josh Inglis (WK), Josh Philippe (WK), Mitchell Owen, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Kuhnemann, Adam Zampa, Mahli Beardman, Ben Dwarshuis, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Marcus Stoinis.

Match starts at 1:45 PM (IST).

(With PTI Inputs)