India vs Australia, 2nd ODI: Steven Smith elects to field
India and Australia are set to lock horns in the 2nd ODI in Visakhapatnam on Sunday (March 19). The hosts claimed a five-wicket victory in the opener, which was a low-scoring affair. Indian skipper Rohit Sharma, who missed the first game due to personal commitments, returns to the XI. Australian captain Steven Smith has won the toss and elected to field first.
Rohit replaces Ishan Kishan; Axar Patel comes in
India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami. Australia (Playing XI): Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith (captain), Marnus Labuschagne, Alex Carey (wicket-keeper), Cameron Green, Marcus Stoinis, Sean Abbott, Nathan Ellis, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa.
Pitch report, timing, and broadcast details
Visakhapatnam's Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium will host the duel. The track here is usually favorable for batting. Virat Kohli owns three ODI tons in six outings here. Dew can play a part as sides chasing have nine wins in 14 ODIs here. The match will be telecast live on Star Sports Network (1:30 PM IST) and live-streamed on Disney+Hotstar (paid subscription).
Here's the head-to-head record
India and Australia have locked horns in 144 ODIs to date. India have claimed 54 wins to Australia's 80. 10 matches have had no results. At home, the Men in Blue boast 30 wins and as many defeats against the Aussies (NR: 5). Notably, Australia were the last team to win an ODI series against India in India (3-2 in 2019).
The summary of 1st ODI
Batting first, Australia lost an early wicket before Mitchell Marsh (81) and Steven Smith (22) added a solid 72-run stand. A middle-order collapse meant the visitors were folded for 188. Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami claimed three wickets apiece. In reply, the hosts were tottering at 39/4 before KL Rahul (75*) stitched match-winning partnerships with stand-in skipper Hardik Pandya (25) and Ravindra Jadeja (45*).
