 India will take on Australia in the second ODI of the three match series at Vizag. The first game between India and Australia at Kochi had been
abandoned due to rain and that means that the series is effectively a two-match
series.
The problem that the organisers could face is that the weather in Vizag is
not too great either. It is said that the rains could affect the game at Vizag
as well, but it remains to be seen whether the game would be fully washed out
or whether the teams will need to play a reduced-overs game.
Click for Live Score Card of India vs AustraliaIt will be interesting to see the team that the Indians play in the second
ODI given that each match now becomes a do-or-die encounter. The team winning
the first ODI cannot lose the series and so both the teams will be looking to
go all out in the first match.
However, the issue for the Indians is the fact that they are without some of
their best players in the series, which has meant that the former cricketers
like Dean Jones believe that the Aussies will wallop India. There is no Sachin
Tendulkar, and the likes of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir are also
absent from the side. The bowling does not sound too great either with Zaheer
Khan, Harbhajan Singh and Ishant Sharma being given breaks in the match.
The Aussies are also shorn of some of their better cricketers but they will
not be hurting from the loss of Ponting, Watson and Johnson, as much as they
would be hurting from having lost the Test series 2-0.
However, what works in Australia's favour is that they still have a strong
enough line-up. Apart from Clarke, their captain for this series, the likes
of Michael Hussey, Cameron White and Dave Warner will prove to be difficult
batsmen to bowl to. Especially given the fact that the Indians have an inexperienced
bowling line-up.
India's bowling will be led by the likes of Praveen Kumar and Ishant
Sharma and there will be the presence of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in the
spinning department in place of the usual likes of Harbhajan and Ojha. Allows
the pair a huge opportunity to become more permanent members of the side.
Australia will go into the second ODI as favourites but only marginally. It
will be a day-night encounter.
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