IND vs AUS: “When I got the chance to play for India again, I knew..." - Shivam Dube reveals how he sealed his place in T20I team

Shivam Dube took two wickets for India in their win over Australia in the fourth T20I.

Shivam Dube is making the most of the opportunities he is getting in the Indian team in the absence of Hardik Pandya. Pandya suffered a quad injury during Asia Cup 2025 and missed the final of the tournament and the ongoing Australia tour.

However, India have managed to do well with Shivam Dube in the side, who has had a bigger role with the ball as well. He bowled well for India in the final of the Asia Cup, outbowling Jasprit Bumrah in the death overs.

He has continued to do well with the ball, taking two wickets against Australia in the fourth T20I. Dube has always been terrific with the bat, including his important cameo in the Asia Cup final.

“Yes, it’s important for me to bowl well. Because when I got the chance [to play for India again], I knew that I had to bowl,” Dube said after India’s win in the 4th T20I.

“Morne [Morkel], Gauti bhai, and Surya came up with a very good plan for me, which track I have to go on and what I have to bowl. Morne has helped me a lot. Because there are some small things that have made my bowling better, which were not happening before, despite trying hard. Gauti Bhai backed me a lot for that. Tu bindaas bowling daal [You bowl with a free mind]. We are here for you. You might concede runs, but we want you to express yourself. That was the plan even today. So, I did that,” he added.

Dube has played 45 T20Is, scoring 607 runs and taking 21 wickets for India.

“The kind of bowling we have”—Shivam Dube says India was confident of defending 167

In order to defend the enormous square boundaries that he had “never seen before” in cricket, Dube adhered to his preparations in Queensland, bowling into the pitch as he did on the dead tracks of the United Arab Emirates and bowling to the longer side of the ground.

“165 on this ground is a good score. Because of the kind of bowling we have, the quality bowling, the spinners, and the fast bowlers. I think it’s like that. I trust them. And the whole team trusts our bowlers. Whatever score we get, 165. Definitely, it’s a T20 game; any of the batters can come and smack it. But on this ground, the side boundaries are big. So, we have planned it very nicely. And we trust all those bowlers. And we had that confidence. We’re going to stop them,” Dube added.

The fifth and final T20I will be played in Brisbane on November 8, with India leading the series 2-1.

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