‘Fearless mindset’: Abhishek Nayar believes Josh Hazlewood stands no chance against Abhishek Sharma

Abhishek Sharma will trouble Aussie bowlers, says ex-batting coach. (Photo: AP)

Former India batting coach Abhishek Nayar stated that although Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood may have caused problems for India's batsmen during the ODI series, he has no chance against the mercurial Abhishek Sharma. Before the first Twenty20 International of the five-match series, Nayar stated that the left-hander is very hard to stop when in form.

Abhishek Sharma recently finished as the top scorer in the Asia Cup 2025 and was instrumental in India's undefeated run in the competition. After a successful Indian Premier League season in 2024, the No. 1 T20I batter's career has taken off.

Josh Hazlewood, who has been in outstanding form in the last three ODIs against India, can be dominated by the left-hander, Abhishek Nayar said ahead of the first Twenty20 International.

“If Abhishek Sharma is in form, Hazlewood 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’s 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,” Nayar told the broadcaster ahead of the game in Canberra.

In all three of the ODI series' games, Hazlewood tormented India's batters. In the first two games, he extracted a lot of bounce off the Perth and Adelaide wickets, making life challenging for the top order. Although he did not take any wickets, his spell in the second ODI was really outstanding.

After doing well in India and the UAE, Nayar continued that Abhishek will be keen to dominate in Australia and that facing Hazlewood would be a significant task for the young batter.

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

“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 here. From what I know of him, he would definitely want to make a name for himself in this series,” he concluded.

On October 29, Canberra, the nation's capital, will host India's first Twenty20 International against Australia.