India vs Australia: Match Preview, Australia Tour Of India 2022, 2nd T20I

India take on Australia in the second T20I in Nagpur on Friday, September 23. The hosts lost the first T20I and now are in a must-win situation. Australia came up with a powerful performance in the first T20I and bagged the two points comprehensively. India will lose the series if they lose the match in Nagpur. 

The Indian batters did well to get them to a score of 208/6. There were contributions from KL Rahul (55), Suryakumar Yadav (46) and Hardik Pandya who scored a career-best 71*. 

Australia cantered through to the total as they won with four balls to spare. Cameron Green opening for the very first time in his career scored 61 off 30 balls with eight fours and four sixes. Steve Smith scored 35 and Matthew Wade’s breezy 45 off 21 balls took them over the line. 

India’s death bowling concerns were on show as Bhuvneshwar Kumar conceded 16 runs in the 19th over of the chase. Overall he went for 52. Barring Axar Patel all the other Indian bowlers went for runs. The Men in Blue have serious problems heading into the second game and must address them with time in hand. 

India vs Australia: Match Preview, Australia Tour Of India 2022, 2nd T20I 

India

India’s troubles with death bowling have again resurfaced since the Asia Cup. Bhubaneshwar Kumar has proved really costly in the final five overs. It is their overall approach that they have to rectify and a lot of thought needs to go in the death overs. Rohit Sharma looked puzzled as a skipper when his bowlers started going for runs and had no answer to Australia’s counter-attack. 

Meanwhile, as per reports in Cricbuzz, Jasprit Bumrah is likely to be back in the playing XI for the second game in Nagpur. He was out of the side since the England series and was rested in the first game for precautionary reasons. 

“The team management did not want to rush him and that is the reason for his absence in the Mohali game. He has been bowling full blast at the nets and he is ready for action” said a BCCI official on Bumrah’s return. 

India Squad 

Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, R. Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah and Umesh Yadav

Australia 

Australia was almost perfect with the chase in the first T20I. On a batting-friendly wicket, their bowlers went for runs. In the chase, their batters had all the answers against every Indian bowler. Cameron Green was a revelation opening the batting for the Aussies. He scored his career-best 61 and took the game away from India. The side will be confident as to how their batters approached the first game and will look to win the series in Nagpur. 

If anything, the bowlers will look to have a better outing in Nagpur. Like the Indian bowlers, they were also expensive and the thought of having a better game in Nagpur will surely be a topic of discussion. 

Australia Squad

Aaron Finch (Captain), Steven Smith, Tim David, Glenn Maxwell, Ashton Agar, Cameron Green, Daniel Sams, Sean Abbott, Josh Inglis, Matthew Wade, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Kane Richardson, Adam Zampa, Nathan Ellis

Also Read: IND vs AUS: ‘If Deepak Chahar Was Fit To Play And Umesh Yadav Played Before Him, Then There Is Confusion’- Ashish Nehra