Australia and India are gearing up for the second ODI of the three-match series, scheduled to take place on Thursday in Adelaide. With Australia holding a one-nil lead after a commanding performance in the series opener, the pressure is mounting on India to bounce back and keep the series alive.
The hosts were clinical in the first ODI, securing a dominant seven-wicket victory (DLS). Their bowling attack gave Indian batters hard times before their batters comfortably chased down a reduced target of 131. Adding further strength to the squad for the Adelaide clash are the returns of Alex Carey and Adam Zampa. Carey missed the first ODI to play for South Australia in the Sheffield Shield as part of his build-up to the Ashes, and Zampa remained on the sidelines due to family reasons. Their presence will undoubtedly boost Australia's confidence heading into the second ODI.
For India, the first ODI was a reality check. The team faltered in all departments, giving only little resistance to the Australian onslaught. With a batting collapse that saw them post an underwhelming total, their bowlers were left with too little to defend.
Notably, the much-anticipated return of senior players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli ended in disappointment. Rohit managed just 8 runs, while Kohli was dismissed for a duck. Going into the second ODI, India will need comprehensive performances from both their batters and bowlers to turn things around in Adelaide. It’s a must-win clash for them to stay alive in the series. On the other hand, for Australia, a win on Thursday would seal the series 2-0.
Head-to-head
Matches - 153
Australia won - 85
India won - 58
Australia possible XI: Mitch Marsh (c), Travis Head, Matt Short, Alex Carey (wk), Matthew Renshaw, Cooper Connolly, Mitch Owen, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa
India possible XI: Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj