India vs Australia 2nd T20I match preview; Shikhar Dhawan's return, probable playing XI and much more
Australian cricket team is on a high after winning their first T20I match against India. Kangaroos are now 1-0 up in the two-match T20I series and will look to convert it in a series win as they had a really bad season since Steve Smith and David Warner are not in the team.
Local Boy KL Rahul
Team India will be looking to bank on KL Rahul, who performed really well in the last T20I as he scored 36-ball 50. It was Rahul’s international comeback after he was suspended over Koffee with Karan controversy surrounding his teammate Hardik Pandya. The second T20I is taking place at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru and KL Rahul is also from the same state. If noth goes wrong, KL Rahul’s performance will be something to watch out for.
Will Shikhar Dhawan get a place?
Shikhar Dhawan who performed exceptionally well in Australia and won the man of the series award for his match winning knocks got dropped for the two T20Is against Australia in India. It will be difficult for him to get a chance in playing 11 as KL Rahul was good with his bat in the last match. We want to give game time to Rahul and Pant to figure out what we need to do in the World Cup," Kohli said after the first T20. So, it will be difficult for Dhawan to find a place in the team today.
Will Siddharth Kaul replace Umesh Yadav?
Umesh Yadav who helped Australia win the last T20I by 3 wickets might get replaced by Siddharth Kaul for the final T20I. India could bring Siddharth or Vijay Shankar in place of Umesh as all-rounder Shankar would be a good news for India’s batting line-up, which collapsed in Vizag due to long tail. It would be interesting to see, who gets a chance in place of Umesh Yadav or there would be none.
M. Chinnaswamy Stadium
The average score in an innings in M.Chinnaswamy stadium is 170. The pitch there is not so spinner friendly as it comes out too flat. Batsmen find it easy to play in Chinnaswamy as the boundaries are shorter and the pitch suits them well. It would be interesting to see skipper Virat Kohli bat as this is his home ground when it comes to the Indian Premier League.
India's probable playing 11: KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma/Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, MS Dhoni (WK), Dinesh Karthik/Vijay Shankar, Krunal Pandya, Umesh Yadav/Siddarth Kaul, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah
