With Hazlewood rested, India look to regain momentum in Hobart

The Indian batters can finally breathe easy. With Josh Hazlewood Australia’s precision master of seam and bounce resting for the remainder of the series, India will look to rediscover their rhythm and bounce back in the third T20 International at Hobart on Sunday.

Hazlewood’s unerring control and steep bounce had left the Indian top order gasping in the first two games, exposing technical flaws against moving deliveries. But his absence now gives Suryakumar Yadav’s men a crucial opportunity to regroup and strike back.

Hazlewood’s exit, a relief for struggling batters

Hazlewood, rested ahead of the Ashes starting later this month, was the wrecker-in-chief in Melbourne, forcing even an in-form Abhishek Sharma to admit, “I’ve never faced such bowling.”

Without him, India’s top order including skipper Suryakumar and vice-captain Shubman Gill will hope for a better outing. Both struggled to handle extra bounce and seam but will take confidence from their fluent knocks in the opening game at Canberra.

The Bellerive Oval, with shorter square boundaries, is expected to be a high-scoring venue. The track is typically a batting paradise, the same ground where Virat Kohli’s legendary 133* against Sri Lanka in 2012 elevated him to ODI greatness.

Arshdeep omission raises eyebrows again

If Hazlewood’s exit offers relief, Arshdeep Singh’s continued absence from the playing XI remains a mystery. Despite being India’s only bowler with 100 T20I wickets, the left-arm pacer has repeatedly been overlooked in favor of an extra batter.

India’s fixation with batting depth backfired in Melbourne, where they were bundled out for just 125 on a bouncy pitch after fielding three spinners. Critics, including Ravichandran Ashwin, have called for clarity, with the veteran off-spinner bluntly saying: “If Bumrah is playing, Arshdeep should be next in line.”

Numbers back the argument India’s No. 8 batter has faced an average of only five balls per innings in recent matches, questioning the logic of packing the lineup with hitters.

The match starts at 1:45 PM IST.

Pitch and Weather: The Bellerive Oval pitch is expected to be flat and batting-friendly with good bounce, while mild temperatures and partly cloudy skies promise ideal playing conditions and minimal rain threat.