With the first T20 in Canberra out of the way and both sides eager to hit full stride, Game 2 will be a real opportunity to grab early momentum. Australia will want to take advantage of the home conditions and new additions, while India will look to build on the brief glimpses of dominance they showed before the rain intervened.
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Australia vs India 2nd T20 Preview and Betting Odds
MCG, Friday 31 October, 7.15pm AEDT
Australia
Team: Mitchell Marsh (c), Tim Davis, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Owen, Josh Philippe, Matthew Short, Sean Abbott, Marcus Stoinis, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Matthew Kuhnemann, Tanveer Sangha
Australia went into the first match full of confidence after winning the toss and electing to bowl. Matthew Kuhnemann was named in the final XI to replace Adam Zampa, who will miss the opening matches of the series due to personal reasons.
The 9.4 overs played on Wednesday night didn’t quite go to plan for the Aussies, so the washout wasn’t the worst result for them. Nathan Ellis, Marcus Stoinis and Kuhnemann all conceded more than 10 runs per over in their short spells, a problem the Australian bowlers will be keen to rectify when they take the field on Friday evening.
India
Team: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill, Sanju Samson, Jitesh Sharma, Rinku Singh, Abhishek Sharma, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar PatelTilak Varma, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy.
After being sent into bat, the Indian line-up looked in complete control during the powerplay and early overs. Shubman Gill and skipper Suryakumar Yadav were both cruising in the 30s when rain brought play to a halt. If they can repeat a similar start in Game 2, India will be extremely difficult to beat.
The middle order, with the power-hitting of Sanju Samson and Shivam Dube, gives India the opportunity to post 200+ on a given night. Meanwhile, the addition of Varun Chakravarthy, the No. 1 ranked T20 bowler, adds yet another dynamic spin option, further strengthening India’s all-round threat.
Match prediction
Australia will be brimming with strength and confidence on the home ground, but the outbreak means their batting and complete bowling attack remain untested in the series so far. Conversely, India took advantage of the short game in Game 1 and looked to be in control with the bat when the rain came. Zampa’s absence for Australia adds further weight to India’s case.
I think India will get the job done in Game 2 at the MCG. Expect them to carry their momentum from the opener, apply pressure early and turn that into a series lead into the next match.
India to win
$1.85 (1.5 units)
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