Australia vs India 2018-19: 3 Decisions India need to take in order to win the 2nd T20I
Australia defeated India in a closely contested, rain curtailed first T20I at the Gabba in Brisbane. India put the Aussies into bat and were in control for most of the innings but Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis' late flourish propelled the Aussies to 174/4 in 17 overs. (The match was reduced to 17 overs).
Shikhar Dhawan looked good for India but they lost Rohit Sharma early and key batsmen KL Rahul and Virat Kohli in quick succession after that. Dhawan eventually perished too for a well-made 76 off 42 deliveries.
Dinesh Karthik and Rishabh Pant staged an unlikely comeback and even brought India to the doorstep of victory. But after some good captaincy from Aaron Finch in removing Pant, and some good bowling from Stoinis, India fell short by 4 runs in the end.
India's loss can be attributed to their selection choices as well as a few tactical blunders. Here are 3 things they need to do if they want to win the next match.
#3 Win the toss
Though this sound pretty simple and childish, winning the toss is very crucial for India. While touring, winning the toss is essential if you want to flourish, and Kohli has had a good time of it in the recent past.
He won the toss in the 1st T20I too, and India's decision to bowl first was actually the right one. But a poor fielding efforts, inconsistent bowling and lack of solidity from their senior batsmen resulted in a loss.
India will look forward to chase at the MCG where they will be playing their second match. In the last four games played at the MCG (2 ODIs and 2 in T20Is), the chasing team has won.
With a bit of luck on their side, India can certainly win the match as well as the series despite the initial setback.