India vs Australia 2nd T20: India’s predicted XI - Spin to win keeping MCG’s big boundaries in mind
Ind vs Aus 2nd T20: India desperately missed Yuzvendra Chahal as the Aussies struggled against the guile of Kuldeep Yadav but belted the inexperienced Krunal Pandya for 55 runs in the first match.
India’s narrow loss in the first match of the series might lead to some changes in the playing XI for the second T20 international, that will be played at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. India desperately missed Yuzvendra Chahal as the Aussies struggled against the guile of Kuldeep Yadav but belted the inexperienced Krunal Pandya for 55 runs in the first match.
MCG has long boundaries and given the ease with which the Australian batsmen were taking the medium pace of Khaleel Ahmed apart, even he could be dropped to get another regular spinner into the playing XI.
Hindustan Times takes a look at India’s predicted XI for the second T20I in Melbourne.
Rohit Sharma
Not the start to the series that India’s vice-captain must have been looking forward to but Rohit has been in great form of late and it is just a matter of a few strokes for him to get going. The extra pace and bounce of the Australian tracks takes time for batsmen to get used to but Rohit is an experienced pro and he will be expected to deliver the goods.
Shikhar Dhawan
Dhawan announced his white ball credentials with a classy knock at Brisbane and with him hitting form early on the tour, India can expect fireworks at the top of the order. With Dhawan firing on all cylinders, his partner Rohit Sharma can take the time that he needs at the start of a series to come into his own. A lot will depend on how Dhawan bats at the MCG if India has to make a comeback in the series.
Virat Kohli
The Indian captain is the designated No 3 of the team and he should bat there. The plan to get Rahul to bat above Kohli did not work for India at Brisbane. Kohli knows all about batting in Australia and with one failure behind him, the Indian captain will be gunning for the runs.
Dinesh Karthik
Dinesh Karthik is playing this series as a pure batsman and he showed just why is deserves to be in this team with a fighting knock in the first match. Karthik needs to bat higher and get more time in the middle in order to make an impact.
Rishabh Pant
Pant’s brilliance and inexperience were both on show in the first match of the series as he batted out of his skin to first get India’s chase back on track and then his immature shot making derailed the chase towards the end. He has been a find for Indian cricket and deserves to be in this team.
Manish Pandey
This would be too low a position for Manish Pandey to bat but he has shown in the past his ability to get quick runs lower down the order. India needs batsmen in form to bat higher up and with KL Rahul looking out of sorts, Pandey must be drafted into the team to provide solidity to the middle order.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Bhuvi was on the mark with his accuracy at Brisbane and he will be needed to do the same in the second match as well. Bhuvneshwar’s ability to provide early breakthroughs will be crucial as Indian would want to get the likes of Lynn and Maxwell in early and put some pressure on the big hitters.
Kuldeep Yadav
India’s stand out bowler in the first match, Kuldeep’s performance shows Australians struggle against quality spin and that is the reason we are suggesting more spin from the Indians. If Kuldeep could fox Maxwell and Lynn, it will be game set match for the men in blue.
Washington Sundar
The big boundaries at MCG mean batsmen would need extra power to hit the spinners out of the park and that is the reason why Sundar should be drafted into the playing XI. Sundar has showcased his ability to bowl with the new ball as well and could open the attack to negate the threat of left-handed opener D’Arcy Short at the top of the order. Is a decent batsman lower down the order.
Yuzvendra Chahal
India’s most successful bowler in T20 internationals since 2017 was missed in the first match. His mastery in shorter formats and ability to pick wickets should have ensured a game at Brisbane itself, but sometimes one must make an error to get back to the right path. Chahal and Kuldeep together are a winning combination for India and Virat Kohli must revert to it immediately.
Jasprit Bumrah
The Indian pacer bowled with pace and verve in the first match and more of the same will be expected from Bumrah as Indian look to bounce right back into the series. His accuracy at the death will be crucial.
