IND v AUS 2020, 2nd ODI: 3 key player battles to watch out for
The 3-match series is on the line for India as they take on Aaron Finch's confident Australia in the 2nd ODI at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday.
Virat Kohli's men are on the back of a 66-run loss that exposed weaknesses in all three departments, and the captain might consider making a few changes to the playing XI from the 1st ODI.
There is no doubt that India will need to put up an improved performance, but they might fall short even if they do. The absence of a second all-rounder is majorly hurting the Men in Blue, who have had to make do with five bowling options on excellent batting pitches.
Ahead of the 2nd ODI, we take a look at 3 player battles that might decide the outcome of the game.
#3 KL Rahul (IND) vs Adam Zampa (AUS)
Both KL Rahul and Adam Zampa have only recently become mainstays of their respective countries in white-ball cricket. While the former has even been appointed as the vice-captain of the side in the absence of Rohit Sharma, the Aussie leggie has established himself as his team's frontline spinner and most potent wicket-taking threat.
Rahul, who is expected to bat at No. 5 for India, fell to Zampa in the 1st ODI in meek fashion as he smashed a full-toss straight to cover. He'll be up against the leg-spinner, who has taken 14 wickets in his last 4 ODIs and registered his second-best figures in ODI cricket in the last game, again.
Rahul will need to be wary of Zampa's unerring consistency and ability to generate bounce, and India might look to unsettle the bowler by going after him. If Rahul does go after Zampa, that could put a lot of pressure on the rest of the bowling attack, especially given that Glenn Maxwell and Marnus Labuschagne are their only other options in the spin department.
#2 Yuzvendra Chahal (IND) vs Glenn Maxwell (AUS)
The leg-spinner from the other side, Yuzvendra Chahal, was taken apart for 89 runs by the Aussies in the 1st ODI. The Haryana bowler didn't seem confident enough to deliver his variations such as the googly, and became too predictable too often.
Chahal is a quality bowler who has the backing of Kohli and the team management, and he'll be keen on replicating the form that he showed in this year's Indian Premier League campaign. He knows that he needs to give his captain 10 solid overs in the absence of a 6th bowling option, and the best way to do that is by taking wickets.
Chahal has had the wood over Glenn Maxwell usually, but the destructive batsman picked him apart in the 1st ODI with a series of sweeps and reverse-sweeps. With Marcus Stoinis set to miss the 2nd ODI and Maxwell firing on all cylinders, we might see the latter get a promotion up the order, where he will be directly up against Chahal for a majority of the innings.
Chahal will want to get Maxwell quickly once again, and if he does, a significant amount of the Australian total might be shaved off.
#1 Jasprit Bumrah (IND) vs David Warner/Aaron Finch (AUS)
The Indian new-ball bowlers have conceded runs galore in the first powerplay in the recent past. Despite possessing a potent new-ball pairing consisting of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, they've conceded opening stands of 85, 93, 106 and 156 in their last 4 ODIs.
Bumrah, who picked up the solitary wicket of Finch in the 1st ODI, has recorded only 2 scalps over the course of 7 ODIs in 2020. He hasn't provided a single breakthrough in the first powerplay in almost 30 overs, and although he has been economical, he is in the team to dismiss batsmen. Shami, on the other hand, has carried the Indian bowling attack during his partner's lean patch, and can be expected to come good.
Aaron Finch has seemed to banished the demons of his Indian Premier League campaign at Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bangalore side, and registered his 17th ODI hundred in the last game. David Warner has been his consistent best at the top of the order, and the sooner India can get Steve Smith to the middle, the better off they'll be.
One thing is for certain in the 2nd ODI - if India don't take wickets with the new ball, there's no way they can take the series to a decider.