IND vs AUS, 2nd T20I: Rohit Sharma elects to field
After hours of wait, India and Australia are set to clash in the second T20I in Nagpur. The hosts are in a must-win situation after failing to defend 208 in the first encounter. Meanwhile, Australia, in the absence of David Warner, Mitchell Starc, and Marcus Stoinis, eye a series win. Indian captain Rohit Sharma has won the toss and elected to field.
Here are the two teams
Australia (Playing XI): Aaron Finch (captain), Cameron Green, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Sean Abbott, Tim David, Matthew Wade (wicket-keeper), Pat Cummins, Daniel Sams, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood. India (Playing XI): KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma (captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Axar Patel, Harshal Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal.
Jasprit Bumrah returns to the mix!
Jasprit Bumrah returns to India's Playing XI. Bumrah, who was included in India's squad for the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup, missed the series opener. He replaces Umesh Yadav in the XI. Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant has been included in place of Bhuvneshwar Kumar. As far as Australia are concerned, Daniel Sams and Sean Abbott have come in for Nathan Ellis (injured) and Josh Inglis.
Pitch report, timing and TV listing
The pitch is expected to assist the batters throughout the match. Notably, the match will start at 9:30 PM IST after the toss got delayed due to wet outfield. As a result, it will be an eight-over affair. One can watch the match live on the Star Sports Network and stream the same on Hotstar (paid subscription).
Revised playing conditions
Here is the head-to-head record
India and Australia last engaged in a T20I series in December 2020. The Men in Blue defeated Australia 2-1 Down Under, winning the first two games. India had won the one-off T20I against Australia at home in 2007 and 2013. The 2017 series was drawn, while Australia triumphed in 2019 (2-0). India have a win-loss record of 13-10 against Australia in T20Is (NR: 1).
Star players eye these milestones
Aussie skipper Aaron Finch has slammed 344 fours in the format. He can reach the mark of 350 and become the first player to do so. Glenn Maxwell has smashed 99 sixes and is one shy of 100. Steve Smith, who owns 963 runs, is 37 short of the 1,000-run mark. Hardik Pandya (955) can also race to 1,000 runs for India.
