India vs Australia LIVE Score: KL Rahul will open the innings with Yashasvi Jaiswal
India vs Australia LIVE Score: India and Australia continue their battle in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, as the five-match Test series heads to Adelaide for the pink-ball day-night Test match for the second match. India completed a dominant 295-run victory after a surgical performance in Perth, where the batters and bowlers alike put forward a fantastic show to help the visitors claim the opening match of the series at the Optus Stadium. With the team having played a preparatory practice match at the Manuka Oval in Canberra using the pink ball against the Australian Prime Minister’s XI, the Adelaide Test presents an excellent opportunity for India to put forward another strong performance and put themselves in a controlling position for the series going ahead.…Read More
It is a very significant match for Australia, for whom this could be a defining Test match not only in the context of the series, but also the World Test Championship and the future of their Test team moving forward. The management and fans won’t be too happy with the slightly limp performance the team put up in Perth, which is typically a fortress for them. A toothless bowling performance in the third innings was exacerbated by the batting being torn apart by Jasprit Bumrah on both occasions. Australia had very few positives to take away from the opening match of this five-match series, and it might now be a matter of resetting and going at it fresh.
Australia will also be missing Josh Hazlewood, who was their best bowler on show in the first Test match. Their replacement is more than capable, with Scott Boland having plenty of experience and capable of being a devastating bowler with the seam-friendly pink ball and his ability to hit hard lengths and rush opposition batters. They will also expect captain Pat Cummins to bounce back into form after a quiet performance in Perth, where he was atypically loose and not as threatening as he tends to be in Australian conditions.
The larger concern for Australia will be the batting, where the only player with any score of significance was Travis Head with a counter-attacking and dangerous 89 while chasing. There are concerns over the form of Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne, with the reliable duo struggling over the last few months and looking all-at-sea against India’s seam attack. With rookie batter Nathan McSweeney also looking shaky in an unfamiliar opening position in his debut Test, and the lower middle order also not shining in particular, there are maybe a few too many questions than Australian fans would be happy with.
On the Indian front, it was all good news in the pause between the first two Tests, as Shubman Gill was determined to be fit and regain his spot at number three, while Rohit Sharma’s return will also be a mark of optimism. The Indian captain confirmed that he will demote himself to the middle order, allowing KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal to continue their strong partnership opening the batting and also somewhat protecting Rohit from the new ball following his recent struggles against pace.
Jaiswal and Rahul’s form in Perth spells good things for India, while Gill was excellent on his tour to Australia in 2021 and is an improved batter since. But the best news for India is definitely the fact that Virat Kohli has runs behind him following his Perth century, continuing his love affair with Australia. Rishabh Pant remains the feared x-factor of international cricket, always capable of flipping the script in a game, while Nitish Kumar Reddy attuned excellently to Test cricket on his debut and forms a solid lower order bloc with Washington Sundar in case a rescue job is needed.
On the bowling front, India will be thankful that the injury luck has held up in their pace-bowling corps, marking a big difference from the injury-stricken tour last time out. Jasprit Bumrah will still be the monstrous presence on which India’s chances hinge: if he continues to breathe fire, it spells trouble for Australia and success for India. Around him, Mohammed Siraj and Harshit Rana have both impressed, and are expected to retain their roles after having been more than capable in their roles as support pacers.
There might be a surprise India could present with spin: while Washington Sundar provides quality spin and astute batting, Ravichandran Ashwin had success with the pink ball in Adelaide in 2020. Ravindra Jadeja also remains in contention, presenting a small quandary for Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma to deal with.
The Adelaide Test match will also have the spectre of 36 all-out hanging over it, with India looking to find some vengeance for that occasion, while Australia might take confidence in the knowledge that they were so successful with the pink ball against India in the past. India will know the importance of batting with intent, patience and application following that match, and will be looking to avenge the ghosts of Adelaide with a strong performance this time around.
A lot hinges on the second match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, in a game that could prove to be incredibly consequential for both teams.
Here are a few pointers regarding the India vs Australia 2nd Test:
– Australia have never lost a pink-ball Test in Adelaide
– India have won three day-night Tests, and their only defeat came against Australia
– For India, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill are back in the Playing XI
– KL Rahul will continue to open for India, while Rohit Sharma will slot himself in the middle order
– Scott Boland will replace Josh Hazlewood in Australia’s Playing XI
– The last time India played a day-night pink-ball Test against Australia, they were bowled out for 36.
