India vs Australia, 2nd T20I: Decoding the player battles
India and Australia face each other in the second T20I on Friday in Nagpur. The hosts are in a must-win situation after failing to defend a score of 208 in the first encounter. Rohit Sharma-led India will be wanting to improve their bowling, in particular. For the Aussies, they need to get the basics right. Here we decode the key player battles.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar vs Aaron Finch
Bhuvneshwar Kumar proved to be costly for India in the opening match. He gave away 52 runs at an economy rate of 13.00. Bhuvi will look to get things right versus Aaron Finch. In the first game, Finch scored 22 runs against Bhuvi, facing 12 balls. He smashed three fours and a six. Finch will be hoping to keep the momentum going against Bhuvi.
Jasprit Bumrah vs Matthew Wade
Matthew Wade was sublime for the Aussies in the first match. He held his nerves and pulled off a superb win for his side. He played crunch shots at the death, finishing on 45*. However, with Jasprit Bumrah likely to play the 2nd encounter, Wade will be tested severely. Bumrah is one of the finest in death overs and he can keep Wade quiet.
Josh Hazlewood vs Rohit Sharma
Josh Hazlewood is champion performer across formats and is currently the number one bowler in the 20-over game. He dismissed Rohit Sharma in the first encounter. Hazlewood will be aiming to start well once again against Rohit, who has enjoyed a mixed run of form. Hazlewood has all the variations and is wise with his offerings. Rohit will need to be alert.
Nathan Ellis vs Virat Kohli
Aussie pacer Nathan Ellis got the key wicket of Virat Kohli in Mohali. Kohli tried to clear the infield and managed to find the fielder, getting caught. Ellis will be confident after an impressive show. He was the pick of the Aussie bowlers, finishing with 3/30. Kohli has to curb his aggression upfront and perhaps just settle in a bit to counter Ellis.
