Australia vs India 2020, 2nd ODI - India's Predicted Playing XI

India, on Friday, started their tour of Australia with a crushing 66-run defeat at the hands of the hosts at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Playing their first game since early March, the Virat Kohli-led side failed to hit the top gear as they remained on the backfoot for the better part of the match. Australia, on the other hand, hardly took their foot off the pedestal once they won the toss and decided to bat first.

Captain Aaron Finch (114) and David Warner (69) put on 156 for the first wicket to give the hosts a solid start. Steve Smith then smashed 105 off 66 balls while sharing a stand of 108 with Finch to lay the foundation for a big total. Hard hitting Glenn Maxwell made the most of the platform as he smashed 45 from just 19 to help his side post an imposing total of 374 for 6.

In reply, India ended way too short of the target as their innings finished on 308 for 8. Opener Shikhar Dhawan made 74 and all-rounder Hardik Pandya hit 90 to keep their side in contention but Australia made sure to remain on top of the proceedings throughout and eventually registered a convincing victory.

With the series on line now, India need to win the second match on Sunday to keep the three-match series alive. The Men in Blue are unlikely to make too many changes despite the defeat but are likely to bring in one new face in the playing eleven for the do-or-die clash.

Here is India’s predicted XI:

Openers: Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal

Shikhar Dhawan and Mayank Agarwal gave India a good start by adding 50 runs in just 25 balls. However, they failed to capitalise on the good start as Agarwal perished after playing a poor shot off Josh Hazlewood. The right-handed batsman looked in good touch during his short stay at the crease as he hit two fours and a six during his 22-run knock before departing.

Dhawan, on the other hand, played a responsible knock of 74 although he found very little support from the other end. With incumbent Rohit Sharma not a part of the squad, the team will be hoping that Dhawan delivers again in the upcoming game.

Middle-order: Virat Kohli (C), Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Hardik Pandya

The middle-order is likely to remain same. Virat Kohli will spearhead the middle-order. The India skipper looked uncomfortable on the pitch during his short stay and departed after playing an uncharacteristic shot. Kohli thrives under pressure and he will be desperate to prove himself again on Sunday.

The other three batsmen in the middle-order are Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya. Both Iyer and Rahul had stunning outings in IPL where they had scored 519 and 670 runs respectively. However, they failed to replicate that performance in the first ODI. With form on their side, India will be hoping that the two batsmen provide the solidity in the middle-order.

Hardik Pandya usually plays as an all-rounder but due to his troublesome back, he is yet to resume bowling after returning to action. He played as a specialist batsman in the first ODI and totally justified the team-management’s faith in him by playing a career-best knock of 90.

Allrounder: Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja had a forgettable outing in the first ODI. The spin-bowling allrounder failed to pick any wicket while conceding 63 runs off his ten overs. With the bat, he did score 25 but didn’t show the intent that was needed to chase down the big total. India are likely to persist with him in the upcoming match.

Bowlers: Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah

In the bowling department, the visitors are likely to make one change. Navdeep Saini is likely to make way for Shardul Thakur after conceding 83 runs in ten overs during the series-opener. Among others, the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Yuzvendra Chahal also failed to do well but are expected to play the crucial match.

Mohammed Shami had a good outing as he picked up three wickets while conceding less than 6 runs per over. India will be hoping that Shami continues his red-hot form with the ball and the other bowlers return to their best form too.