IND vs AUS, 2nd Test: Head to Head, Playing XI, Preview, Where to Watch on TV, Online, and Live Streaming Details

India won the first Test by an innings and 132 runs.

Published - 16 Feb 2023, 17:53 IST | Updated - 16 Feb 2023, 17:53 IST

4 Min Read

After absolutely hammering Australia in the first Test of the series in Nagpur, team India will hope to repeat their heroics and secure a healthy lead in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Australia, on the other hand, have a lot on their plate at the moment. It’s not just about their clash against the Indian spinners but they will also be mentally challenged, especially after their shameful collapse within a session in the first Test. Thus, at this moment, it is tough to bet in their favour but one can never rule the Kangaroos out of the competition.

The Australian team knows the recipe for a comeback as they have done it time and again over the years. However, in order to repeat the same, senior players like David Warner and Usman Khawaja need to step up and deliver. In the case of Warner, this can very well be his last opportunity to prove himself in Test cricket. He is not someone who has a good record against spinners or especially against Ravichandran Ashwin and thus, the road will be very difficult for the southpaw.

When it comes to Khawaja, he has a decent stat against spinners but the cricketer is hardly tested on the Indian surfaces. Thus, he will have the opportunity to be a hero in the Delhi Test, but given his data in the first match, one can't bet in his favour.

Now, even though the opening duo are well-reputed cricketers, they are not the big fishes of Australian cricket. Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne are the ones to watch out for as they have the capability to charge a counter-attack against Indian bowling attack. In addition, with the news of Travis Head’s inclusion airing, he will also be a massive boost to the squad given his current form in the longest format of the game.

It also needs to be seen if the team management rushes to bring in Cameron Green and Mitchell Starc, given their respective injuries. However, desperate times need desperate measures and by the look of it, Australia are ready to go all out against India.

Meanwhile, the Rohit Sharma-led side is in a much better place but they can’t afford to relax as the Australian team can come back stronger. Their main concern will be KL Rahul’s form as the opener has failed to perform, despite multiple chances in the recent times. Be it fans or former cricketers, everyone requested the team management to consider Shubman Gill ahead of Rahul but that’s very unlikely to happen. Only Shreyas Iyer is expected to make his return to the playing XI as India looks rock solid on paper.

When it comes to their bowling, wrecker-in-chief Ravichandran Ashwin will be in charge of the proceedings while Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel will be his deputiesd. The trio wreaked havoc in the previous match and they are once again expected to do the same thing. Meanwhile, Jadeja and Ashwin have already bagged a five-for, can Axar do it this time? Well, they love challenges after all.

Pitch and Conditions

Right after the first image of the surface of the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi was released, everyone had the same question in their mind whether the pitch will assist the spinners. The surface in the country-capital is expected to provide an advantage to the spinners.

Australian batters will face the wrath once again and that is the challenge they need to overcome in order to get the much-needed win. For India, they need to be cautious as well. Their middle order was shaky in the last match and if Australia bowls well, the Rohit Sharma-led side can feel some heat as well.

Probable Playing XI for IND vs AUS 2nd Test

India
Flamboyant batter Suryakumar Yadav was pale in the previous match and is likely to be dropped. Shreyas Iyer has already proved his mettle in the longest format of the game and since he is ow fit, it’s only understandable that the Mumbai-born cricketer will make his return to the playing XI.

Probable Playing XI - Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami

Australia
Despite being Australia’s leading wicket-taker in his debut match, Todd Murphy may have to make way for Matthew Kuhnemann in the playing XI. On the other hand, Travis Head is expected to replace Matt Renshaw and if fit, Starc and Green will also make their comeback.

Probable Playing XI - David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Peter Handscomb / Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Matthew Kuhnemann, Scott Boland / Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon