India made a cautious start in the fourth T20I against Australia, registering just 49 runs in the Powerplay without losing a wicket — their lowest Powerplay total in the last 16 months where they managed to preserve all ten wickets.
Openers Abhishek Sharma (28 off 21) and Shubman Gill (29 off 23) took a measured approach against disciplined new-ball bowling from Ben Dwarshuis and Marcus Stoinis, focusing on strike rotation rather than boundary-hitting early on.
The last instance of India scoring fewer than 50 runs in the Powerplay without losing a wicket came in July 2024, highlighting the rare nature of the start. Despite the low-scoring first six overs, India capitalised later through controlled partnerships before Adam Zampa dismissed Abhishek to break the stand at 56 runs in 6.4 overs.
The slow surface at Carrara Oval and Australia’s tight bowling lines contributed to India’s conservative start — a strategic decision as skipper Suryakumar Yadav had earlier stated his side wanted to assess conditions before accelerating in the middle overs.
