India vs Australia 2022, 2nd T20I: 3 players who can score most runs
Team India are in a do-or-die position against Australia entering the second T20I between the two teams to be played in Nagpur. The Men in Blue have won two and lost two out of the four games played here.
While there have been some glaring issues in the bowling department, India's batting is looking formidable as they continue to post huge first-innings totals. The ultra-attacking approach led by captain Rohit Sharma has had its drawbacks, but the chances of the Indian team getting to a big score have increased.
With the dimensions of the ground at Nagpur being reasonably big, the batters will also need to run hard between the wickets by hitting the gaps, apart from power-hitting. On that note, let's take a look at the three players who could have a great outing on Friday:
#3 Glenn Maxwell
Glenn Maxwell as a left-handed batsman in nets.
https://t.co/W6belfah3s
Glenn Maxwell didn't have the greatest of outings in the first T20I at Mohali as he was dismissed for just 1(3). Although Australia won the game, Maxwell will be keen to dish out a fantastic performance against India in Nagpur.
In the absence of players like Marcus Stoinis and Mitchell Marsh, Maxwell has got the opportunity to come higher up the order and get himself set before going berserk. His ability to take the bowling attack apart is no secret and his unorthodox shots are crucial on a ground with big boundaries.
With Yuzvendra Chahal out of form, Maxwell will back himself to get the better of the Indian spinner and his pace hitting has always been incredible. He could be a genuine game-changer for Australia tonight.
#2 Virat Kohli
At Nagpur on the dry track the Indian batsmen struggled to make runs when Virat Kohli stood up for his team and struck 116 in 120 balls. https://t.co/zhYgK982e2
Virat Kohli got a monkey off his back after a sensational Asia Cup campaign with the bat. He scored 276 runs in five innings, including the 71st international hundred against Afghanistan.
But the former Indian captain looked to be trying too hard against Australia in the first T20I as he was dismissed for just two runs. Kohli might know that he is at his best when he tries to hit the gaps and isn't trying to be ultra-aggressive from ball one.
If he gives himself some time at the crease, he can be destructive once he is set and his strike rate can increase exponentially as seen against Afghanistan. He is too good a player to not figure out what went wrong and can score big in the second T20I.
#1 KL Rahul
Match Day,
[ K L Rahul at VCA Stadium, Nagpur :
Played only 2 innings -
71 runs vs Eng (2017)
52 runs vs Ban (2019) ]
All the best KL ♥️
@klrahul • #KLRahul https://t.co/1zISKihzSR
KL Rahul had already scored a half-century against Afghanistan in the Asia Cup. However, it was his 55 against Australia that proved to be more refreshing.
One of the main reasons for that was the intent with which he played his shots, bringing back shades of 2018 when he scored a T20I hundred at Manchester.
Rahul also likes to play in Nagpur, having scored 123 runs for India at an average of 61.5 and a strike rate of 150 with the highest score of 71. He has probably realized that when he plays freely, there is hardly anything that the bowlers can do.
It will be interesting to see if he can make full use of the intent that he had shown in Mohali.