Australia vs India, 2020: 2nd ODI, Sydney: India Predicted XI

After suffering a 66-run thrashing in the first ODI against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground, the Virat Kohli-led Team India have got their backs firmly against the wall.

The Men in Blue lost their 4th consecutive ODI in their series opener against the rampaging hosts on Friday and another slip-up will pave way for a second successive series defeat this year.

The second match will take place on Sunday, and this is how the Indian team is expected to line-up for the do-or-die fixture:

Mayank Agarwal

Mayank Agarwal played some brilliant strokes courtesy of his 18-ball 22 in the first ODI. Agarwal, along with Shikhar Dhawan, stitched a 50-run-stand in mere 5 overs before he threw his wicket away.
Agarwal would be hoping to convert his start into a big knock in the upcoming game.

Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan continued his imperious form against Australia as he racked up the fourth consecutive 50+ score in as many innings.

Dhawan, along with Mayank, was instrumental in India only getting off to a good start but he was also the one who held the fort for the Men in Blue with a 128-run-stand with a rampaging Hardik Pandya.

The southpaw eventually perished at an 86-ball 74 while trying to up the ante against Adam Zampa.

Virat Kohli [C]

For someone, who has been an epitome of calmness in tense run-chases over the years, it was baffling to see Virat Kohli being in such a hurry in the 1st ODI where India were chasing 375.

After having got a lucky reprieve thanks to Adam Zampa, who dropped his mistimed pull stroke at backward fine-leg, Virat played a few delightful shots against Pat Cummins, none better than the pick-up shot that went for a six over backward square-leg.

However, one-shot proved to be too many for the Indian skipper as he fell to Josh Hazlewood thanks to another mistimed pull stroke, which was caught by Aaron Finch at short midwicket. This was Virat’s 4th successive low score in ODI cricket, a rare aberration that he would want to shrug off in the do-or-die fixture on Sunday.

Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer issues against short-pitch deliveries were exposed to the hilt in a rather embarrassing fashion in the last game when the talented batsman, after looking like he was shaping up for a pull stroke, decided against it at the last moment.

The only issue was Shreyas failed to drop his hands down, thus giving a regulation catch to Alex Carey.

Iyer is likely to be peppered with a lot of short-pitch stuff in the upcoming games and it will be interesting to see how he counters this threat.

KL Rahul (WK)

How much intent is too much intent? This is the question that Indian fans are asking themselves after KL Rahul played a loose drive away from his body to give a regulation catch to Steve Smith at cover.

Rahul had looked in supreme touch during his 15-ball 12 and given the fact that India has already lost two quick wickets and were in desperate need of a partnership, it was disappointing to see Rahul fall in that manner.

Rahul has been brilliant at the No.5 spot thus far and Team India will hope he emulates his performances that he displayed in New Zealand earlier this year.

Hardik Pandya

If there was one positive for India in what was a rather insipid performance from them in the first ODI, it was Hardik Pandya’s batting.

With him not contributing as a bowler, there were a lot of questions regarding Pandya’s credentials as a specialist batsman ahead of the ODI series.

But the swashbuckler put all those doubts to rest with a brilliantly compiled 76-ball 90. Pandya looked in total control against both spinners as well as fast bowlers and apart from all the sixes that he stroked, it was the manner in which he paced his knock that was a real standout feature.

Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja had a poor outing with both bat and ball in the 1st ODI.

On a pitch that offered him no help, Jadeja struggled to make any sort of impact, finishing with figures of 0-63 in ten overs.

Then with the bat, his tactics were really defensive as he managed 8 runs in his first 17 balls, forcing Hardik Pandya to go for a big shot, one that eventually led to his demise.

Navdeep Saini

Navdeep Saini’s maiden outing in Australia proved to be disastrous as the fast bowler did not look in rhythm whatsoever.

Saini was carted around the park by the likes of David Warner, Aaron Finch, and a rampaging Steve Smith and eventually ended up conceding 83 runs in his quota of 10 overs.

Saini had complained of back spasm ahead of the ODI series and given the fact that he could be a crucial part of the Test team, it will be interesting to see whether the team-management persist with him or do they rest him and play either of T Natarajan or Shardul Thakur.

Yuzvendra Chahal

Just like the fast bowlers, Yuzvendra Chahal also ended up having a nightmarish outing in the first ODI against Australia as he registered the most expensive figures by a bowler at the SCG.

Chahal picked up a wicket of Marcus Stoinis with beauty but barring that he was guilty of erring in his line and lengths far too often and the Australian, especially Glenn Maxwell, took full advantage as he ended up giving 89 runs in 10 overs. Chahal’s successes in the middle-overs is the key to India’s fortunes given the fact that they only have five bowlers. Thus, Virat and the team-management will hope that Friday’s performance was a mere aberration and that the spinner returns to his best in the do-or-die encounter.

Mohammed Shami

The only Indian bowler that looked threatening in the first match was Mohammed Shami. The leading wicket-taker in ODIs since the start of 2019, conceded just 59 runs in his quota of 10 overs besides claiming three wickets.

That said, Shami would be hoping to contribute in the wickets column in the first ten overs, something no Indian bowler has managed in the last 4 ODIs.

Jasprit Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah’s struggles in the last 4 ODIs have been one of the major reasons behind India’s issues with the ball this year.

Bumrah, who had come into the series on the back of a stellar IPL season, once again struggled to make any sort of impact. The champion fast bowler was carted around the park for 73 runs in his 10 overs and the one wicket that he took- of Aaron Finch- came after a gap of 47 long overs. India hasn’t claimed a wicket in the powerplay in the last 4 games, and they have lost each of them. Bumrah’s form has become even more crucial given the fact that the Men in Blue are playing with just 5 bowlers, and Virat Kohli will hope that his ace spearhead regains his prime touch in the do-or-die encounter on Sunday.

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