India vs Australia, 2nd ODI preview, likely XIs: India tipped to win again, but have issues to sort

India secured a fine win against Australia in the first ODI in Hyderabad, and the objective in Nagpur for the second bout will be to win even better.

The Indian bowlers were exceptional in Hyderabad, restricting Australia to 234, but victory on a tough surface was hard fought after Shikhar Dhawan fell early and all of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ambati Rayudu fell in quick succession.

It required a grinding stand from MS Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav to rescue India from that situation and push their way through victory.

That said, even making for considerations on a difficult pitch, you got the impression it was harder than it needed to be. There are more questions regarding the middle order, specifically the No. 4 slot, and with just four more ODIs before India are on a flight to England, there is an urgency to resolve the issue.

KL Rahul, so impressive in the T20Is, is waiting in the wings and with the safety of a 1-0 lead, the management might give him an outing at No.4 at in Nagpur. Another possible change is a straight swap between Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal.

Australia’s biggest worry continues to be Aaron Finch, their captain. His wretched form continued in Hyderabad, and the decision will soon have to be made whether his captaincy is worth the extra pressure on the middle order.

In fact, the batter as a whole failed in Hyderabad – none of them converted their starts – and that’ll be key for Australia in a more batting-friendly surface in Nagpur.

Head to head

After the victory in Hyderabad, India’s head-to-head record against Australia at home made for symmetrical reading: 26 wins and 26 losses in 57 ODIs. At home, over the last five years, India have played just six ODIs against the men from Down Under. They have won five of those matches.

Away from home, and at neutral venues, India have won 16 of their 36 matches against Australia over the last ten years. More of the same and that overall record – India have lost 74 matches out of 312 against Australia – should make for better reading over time.

Venue details

The teams have clashed in Nagpur thrice before – in 2009, in 2013 and in 2017. India have won each time, but comfortable margins of 99 runs, 6 wickets and 7 wickets. It doesn’t make for too much encouragement for Australia, and more of the same is expected come Tuesday.

There was overnight rain on Sunday in Nagpur, but clear and sunny skies are forecast for match-day. The pitch at this venue has traditionally been minted for batsmen.

Key players

Mohammed Shami (India): Shami was exceptional in Hyderabad. He bowled with plenty of pace and control, and there was little the Australian batsmen could do against him. He’s formed a new-ball fine partnership with Jasprit Bumrah, and even on a flat track in Nagpur, he looks likely to dent Australia, given the form he is in.

Aaron Finch (Australia): The Australia captain’s lean patch has been well-documented. Troublingly for him, calls to drop him and give him a break have been amplified after his failure in Hyderabad. He needs a good outing to stop all the talk, and desperation will be high in Nagpur. That won’t help.

Likely XIs

India: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli (c), Ambati Rayudu/KL Rahul, MS Dhoni (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Vijay Shankar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah

Australia: Usman Khawaja, Aaron Finch (c), Shaun Marsh/Ashton Turner, Marcus Stoinis, Peter Handscomb, Glenn Maxwell, Alex Carey (wk), Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, Jason Behrendorff, Adam Zampa

Prediction:

India to make it 2-0, with their batsmen coming good.