AUS vs IND: 2nd Test Preview – Australia, India set for the pink-ball spectacle
Australia (AUS) and India (IND) are all set to take on each other in the second Test of the ongoing five-match series. Both sides will lock horns at Adelaide Oval, from Friday, December 6. The first Test of the series resulted in a resounding win for the visitors India.
Both the teams faced off in the first Test at Perth’s Optus Stadium, from November 22 – 25. The clash began with stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah winning the toss and electing to bat first on a green top. The side faced a batting collapse and was dismantled for a mere 150 runs in the first innings. Ace pacer Josh Hazlewood produced a stellar spell of 4/29, due to which the side got the advantage earlier in the game.
As Australia came out to bat, India’s bowling attack proved to be too much to handle for the hosts. The Pat Cummins-led side was bundled out for just 104 runs in the first innings of the game, as Bumrah looked exceptional with the ball, picking his 11th five-wicket haul. Furthermore, in the second innings, the tourists declared the score of 487 runs, thanks to exceptional knocks from KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, and Nitish Kumar Reddy. Chasing the target of 533 runs, Australia managed to score just 238 runs as India won the game by 295 runs in an incredible fashion. Skipper Bumrah won the Player of the Match award for picking 8 wickets in the game.
Looking ahead in the second Test, India sees the return of their full-time skipper Rohit Sharma who will directly walk in the playing XI. Though there have been discussions regarding his position after KL Rahul looked impressive at the top order. According to reports, Rohit is expected to bat lower down the order. Additionally, Ravichandran Ashwin might replace Washington Sundar due to his numbers in Pink Ball Test matches. On the other hand, Australia have announced their playing XI and has made one change with Scott Boland replacing the injured Josh Hazelwood.
Pitch Report
Adelaide Oval’s pitch has been balanced between bat and ball. For the second Test between Australia and India, Pitch curator Damian Hough confirmed that the surface would feature a consistent 6mm layer of grass, assisting the seam bowlers, especially earlier in the innings. However, light showers are expected on Friday, potentially impacting the pitch’s behavior over the first two days. The average first-innings score at this venue is 379. Teams batting first have a strong record here, winning 41 out of 85 Test matches. As the match progresses, especially from Day 3, the pitch is likely to start favoring the spinners.
AUS vs IND Playing XIs
Australia (AUS): Usman Khawaja, Nathan McSweeney, Usman Khawaja, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland
India (IND): KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma (C), Rishabh Pant (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravichandran Ashwin, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah.
