Big Picture: Series on the line, with T20 World Cup on the horizon

India's brilliant bowling performances, bamboozling Australia with spin, in Hobart and the Gold Coast has turned the series on its head. Josh Hazlewood's stranglehold of India's batters earlier in the series feels like a long time ago as a shorthanded Australia - without frontline players turning their focus to the Ashes - stare down the barrel of a series defeat.

Australia can't win the series, but can salvage a draw in the fifth and final T20I at the Gabba. Even though almost all the attention across the country is on the Ashes, meaning scrutiny on this series is minimal, Australia's hierarchy have a few things to ponder ahead of a fast-approaching T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

Australia have a clear plan of all-out attack, which can look spectacular on faster surfaces or against the right match-up. But this high-voltage batting-order failed to execute on a slower Gold Coast surface in game four. Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar completely dominated as Australia collapsed to a sizeable defeat after laying a good platform.

With the T20 World Cup to be played in what could be spin-friendly conditions, Australia are facing questions over whether they can combat high-quality spin attacks. A faster Gabba pitch is unlikely to provide answers, but Australia will want a confidence boost and to avoid a third straight T20I defeat - undoing somewhat the team's rousing form since the last World Cup.

After a sluggish start to the series, India have continued their strong record having never lost a T20I series in Australia - bar a one-off match in 2007-08. With their slew of spinners running rampant, India have proven why they are so hard to beat in this format as they eye becoming the first country to successfully defend their T20 World Cup crown.

After conditions were to their liking over the past couple of games, India will face a challenge in Brisbane and the spotlight will be on how their top-order can fare even though a Hazlewood-less attack is slightly a less scary prospect.

If they seal a series triumph, India will head home feeling well pleased ahead of a T20 World Cup they will start as favourites.

Form guide

Australia LLWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
India WWLWW

In the spotlight: Josh Inglis and Shubman Gill

It's been a frustrating start to the Australian season for Josh Inglis, who suffered a calf injury before the tour of New Zealand and it took longer to recover. Inglis has finally made it back, but his returns with the bat this series have been modest with just 33 runs in three innings. A noted player of spin, Inglis was completely bamboozled by Axar on the Gold Coast in a poor dismissal. At No. 3, Inglis holds a valuable spot in the order and his struggles have contributed to Australia's indecisiveness this series. He will also be eyeing a good hit-out in the middle before switching to the red ball in the Sheffield Shield having been selected in Australia's first Test Ashes squad as the reserve wicketkeeper. He is the only member of the 15-player squad playing in this game.

It has not been a fruitful tour for Shubman Gill, who could not get going with the bat as India slumped to an ODI series loss to start his captaincy reign in the format. Without the captaincy burden in the T20Is, he has fared slightly better in this series although has still yet to crack a half-century on tour. He came close on the Gold Coast when he top-scored with 46 off 39 balls. Gill, however, lacked fluency in the innings, struggling against the new ball before some of his favoured flat-bat shots started to return. He will be hoping the momentum can carry over as he looks to end a tough tour on a high.

Team news: Philippe's middle-order role, India to remain unchanged

Fringe white-ball player Matt Short was in good touch on the Gold Coast after replacing Travis Head, who is preparing for the Ashes. Short made 25 off 19 balls before the wheels fell off the innings. Josh Philippe made just 10 at No. 5 in his first T20I innings in almost two years and may be battling to hold his spot, with Mitch Owen a chance to return.

Australia (possible): 1 Matt Short, 2 Mitchell Marsh (capt), 3 Josh Inglis (wk), 4 Tim David, 5 Mitch Owen/Josh Philippe, 6 Marcus Stoinis, 7 Glenn Maxwell, 8 Xavier Bartlett, 9 Ben Dwarshuis, 10 Nathan Ellis, 11 Adam Zampa

India are unlikely to tinker with their successful blueprint and should roll out the same XI even though conditions probably won't be as conducive to turn.

India (possible): 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Axar Patel, 6 Washington Sundar, 7 Jitesh Sharma, 8 Shivam Dube, 9 Arshdeep Singh, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Jasprit Bumrah

Pitch and conditions

As is the norm this time of year in Brisbane, there is the threat of thunderstorms later in the day. The Gabba surface traditionally has plenty of pace and bounce to encourage the seamers, but runs can also flow freely with BBL games at the ground often noted for high totals.

Stats and trivia

• Jasprit Bumrah is one away from 100 T20I wickets. He would become the first India player to have 100 wickets in all three formats.

• The last time Australia lost at least three straight T20Is was a four-game skid to West Indies and Bangladesh in July 2021.

• India have not won three consecutive T20Is against Australia since a clean sweep in January 2016 in Australia.

• Australia's four-run victory over India in November 2018 is the only previous T20I match between the teams at the Gabba.

Quotes

"I find it challenging in bilateral series because you're bowling to the same batters every second night, every third night. So it becomes a little bit of cat-and-mouse of what did I do to them last time, what are they looking for?"
Nathan Ellis on trying to stay one step ahead

"The quality bowling we have, the spinners, the fast bowlers, I trust them and the whole team trusts our bowlers."
Allrounder Shivam Dube on India's depth