Aus v Ind 2nd ODI Preview: India hope to get even with the hosts

The first ODI between India and the hosts at Perth was a batsman’s affair. Both teams scored over 300 runs while the bowlers went back with sore heels to the pavilion. The situation won’t be different here as the conditions at the Gabba have always been a batter’s friendly. In addition, both teams have world class power hitters, who are known for their fast-paced run scoring. So, better be ready to enjoy a high scoring game tomorrow. The first ODI was about India’s batting versus Australia new bowling attack. But, now it looks like the battle would be the other way round in the 2nd ODI. A single ODI cannot be a parameter to judge the entire series but Australia is definitely the favorites heading into the second match.

Australia:

Australia gave a perfect start to the ODI series and have lot of positives to take from their last game. Australia’s top order has enough strength and stability. Steven Smith and George Bailey provided another example of that in the previous game. David Warner will miss this game after the birth of his second daughter and Australia will opt for Shaun Marsh to fill in his place. The middle order could not be tested but it has enough ammunition with Glenn Maxwell and wicketkeeper Matthew Wade. Bowling wise, Australia would definitely like to pressurize India with regular strikes and this can happen only when newbie’s Joel Paris and Scott Boland step up. Mitchell Marsh is also expected to be rested in place of an extra fast bowler to add firepower to the bowling attack. John Hastings will

Bowling wise, Australia would definitely like to pressurize India with regular strikes and this can happen only when newbies Joel Paris and Scott Boland step up. Mitchell Marsh is also expected to be rested in place of an extra fast bowler to add firepower to the bowling attack. John Hastings will be expected to take up the role of the fifth bowler in the team. Australia looks the better team as they prepare to take field at the Gabba.

India:

India will be going into the second ODI at Brisbane with a 1-0 deficit. From a layman’s point of view, the Indian batting must have looked perfect. They didn’t lose too many wickets and posted a score in excess of 300. However, that wasn’t exactly the case. The Indians, despite having a strong launch pad to score big, missed the opportunity to cash in. They were failed to pace the innings to perfection. India was 180/1 after 35 overs and a 350+ score was anticipated considering India’s batting standards.

Dhoni had stated before the first ODI that he will stick with his strength which is spin. And, he did that by fielding Ashwin and Jadeja together. However, both the spinners lacked effectiveness. Much of India’s success across all formats can be owed to the performances of the spinner during the middle over. But in the first ODI, they hardly had an impact.

George Bailey and Steven Smith were in the groove and negotiated India’s strength without any hassle. Therefore, like in every India game, spinners hold the key at Gabba and they must try to create their impact during the middle overs. Barinder Sran was a positive takeaway from the last game. However, Umesh Yadav and Bhuvneshwar Kumar did not have a numerical in their wicket columns, which is worrying. It’s a must win game for India as another loss would create too much pressure on them.

Probable XI:

Australia:

Shaun Marsh, Aaron Finch, Steven Smith (C), George Bailey, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Wade (wk), James Faulkner, John Hastings, Scott Boland, Josh Hazlewood, Joel Paris.

India:

Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey, MS Dhoni (C & wk), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja/Rishi Dhawan/Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Barinder Sran.

Stats:

• Virat Kohli needs 78 runs to become the fastest to reach the milestone of 7000 runs in ODIs. He needs to get there within his next six innings to beat AB de Villiers’ record of 166 innings.
• Rohit Sharma has 3 ducks in international cricket at Brisbane (2 in ODIs, 1 in Tests: 2 vs Australia and 1 vs Sri Lanka). Only at Dambulla, Rohit has recorded more than 1 duck in International Cricket.

Pitch and weather conditions:

A flat batting friendly wicket will welcome both teams. There can be assistance for the fast bowlers but the spinner cannot expect anything. The weather forecast will be a major factor. A sunny morning is expected but there are high chance of showers and rain in the evening or even a thunderstorm. Batting second can be preferable as the Duckworth-Lewis factor may come into play rain interrupts in the evening.