Abhishek Sharma vs Josh Hazlewood: The key face-off in India vs Australia in T20 series, Former Coach predicts

The next step for the Indian team will be to conquer Australia in the T20 series which is starting on Wednesday in Canberra. However, the key player for Team India is Abhishek Sharma, who was the star performer for the team in the Asia Cup 2025 and wrote a positive statement as he scored 314 runs in just seven matches and helped the team to win the final.

However, former Indian assistant coach Abhishek Nayar shared his thoughts and intuition about the upcoming important series between India and Australia and also the clash between star player Abhishek Sharma and Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood.

“If Abhishek Sharma is in form, Hazelwood will be out of form. The way he bats, he is known to hit the first ball for a four or a six. If you instill fear in the powerplay, it continues throughout the innings. That is Abhishek Sharma’s impact on the game. If he bats six overs, India will score between 60 to 80. It will ease the pressure for his batting partner, while it will increase for the opposition,” said Nayar on Star Sports.

“It will be a big test for him, especially against Hazelwood, who is in good rhythm and extracting extra bounce. However, I feel that he has got enough experience by playing in the IPL and in South Africa,” he added.

However, Nayar also shared his opinion that the upcoming T20Is will be the great chance and opportunity for Abhishek Sharma to grow and make his name more successful as a great batter on the Australian grounds and pitch. “He has a fearless mindset and will want to make a name for himself in Australia. This is a good chance for him, as it is very satisfying to earn respect in Australia. From how much I know him, he would want to make a name for himself here,” he said.