3 things India need to do right in the 5th T20I vs Australia ft. Tilak Varma's entry point

India's white-ball tour of Australia will end with the fifth and final T20I at The Gabba in Brisbane on Saturday, November 8. The Men in Blue will want to seal the series outright, having already secured a 2-1 lead.

India have come under a ton of criticism for their tactics in the ongoing series, as well as past assignments like the Asia Cup. Head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav have made a few questionable calls, and while they have gotten away with them so far, they need to be at their sharpest going forward with the T20 World Cup around the corner.

India’s T20I squad for the Australia tour: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill (vice-captain), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson (wk), Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar.

Australia's T20I squad for the India series: Mitchell Marsh (c), Sean Abbott (games 1-3), Xavier Bartlett, Mahli Beardman (games 3-5), Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis (games 4-5), Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood (games 1-2), Ben McDermott (standby player), Glenn Maxwell (games 3-5), Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Mitchell Owen, Josh Philippe, Tanveer Sangha, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis.

On that note, here are three things India need to do right in the fifth T20I against Australia.

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#3 Tilak Varma and the other middle-order batters need to be given correct entry points

Australia v India - T20 Series: Game 2 - Source: Getty

Tilak Varma came in at No. 5 in the previous game, and that isn't a position he has aced in the T20I format. The left-hander has found success only in the top four, with spin bogging him down through the middle overs.

On Saturday, India need to ensure that their entry points are correct. Tilak and Suryakumar Yadav need to bat in the top four, and if that means Shivam Dube isn't maximized with the bat, that is something they must accept. Playing either Nitish Kumar Reddy or Rinku Singh instead of either Tilak or Dube might not be the worst idea too.

India have already made one positive decision by replacing Sanju Samson with Jitesh Sharma, and others will make them even stronger.

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#2 India should consider resting their primary Test players

Cricket: Australia v India - 2nd T20I - Source: Getty

This is a case of seeing the bigger picture and not tactics for the upcoming T20I. Nevertheless, it's as important as any other factor, with India having made a host of dubious calls in this department in recent times.

The Test series against South Africa is scheduled to commence in under a week, and India will need their main men to be well rested and fresh. Shubman Gill and Jasprit Bumrah are among those who will have central roles to play against the Proteas.

Kuldeep Yadav has already been released from the squad. India should follow in those footsteps and ensure that their star duo are not overworked in Australia, with both having featured in all matches thus far in the shortest format.

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#1 Shivam Dube, the bowler, needs to be used carefully in Brisbane

Australia v India - T20 Series: Game 4 - Source: Getty

India got away with bowling Shivam Dube to Mitchell Marsh and Tim David in the last game, but it won't work every time. The fast-bowling all-rounder cannot be relied upon against solid pace hitters, especially at a ground like The Gabba.

Dube isn't known to generate pace, and while he gets extra bounce at times, the true nature of the Brisbane wicket could cause his deliveries to sit up. Marsh, David and the other Aussie batters could then find it easy to plunder him for runs.

Dube and Washington Sundar are currently sharing sixth-bowler duties, and India need to ensure that their overs are squeezed in during opportune times.