Australia and India, who took to the field for the second Test in Adelaide with the series precariously placed after India’s crushing 295-run win in Perth, started the narrative, but failed to rise to a higher level.
India would be one win away from making an absolute statement in the series. Another win for India would put the visitors on the brink of a historic series win, while Australia will need to recover quickly to avoid going 2-0 down.
Australia dominate under the lights at home and the pink ball record in Adelaide will be a huge place to fall.
However, their problems are huge; Including the absence of Josh Hazlewood through injury and his top form. Mitchell Marsh is expected to contribute with the ball.
India go into the game with confidence, but there are a lot of doubts about their pink-ball performance after 36 runs in the last day-night Test here.
IND vs AUS Match Preview – 2nd Test, India 2024 Australia tour
IND vs AUS 2nd Test Date & Venue
The 2nd India vs Australia Test will be played at the Adelaide Oval on Friday (Dec 06). The game is scheduled to start at 9:30 AM IST and 2:30 PM IST.
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Teams:
India
Rohit Sharma will lead the Indian team in the 2nd match of the Ind vs Aus match.
IND staff: Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Sarfaraz Khan, Virat Kohli, Prasidh Krishna, Ravichandran Ashwin, Rishabh Pant (WK), KL Rahul, Harshit Rana, Abhi , Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar.
Australia
Pat Cummins will lead Australia in the 2nd game.
AUS staff: Pat Cummins (C), Scott Boland, Alex Carey (Wk), Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (Wk), Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Nathan McSweeney, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc.
IND vs AUS Key Battles
Rohit Sharma vs Nathan Lyon
Returning captain India, Rohit Sharma will face Australia’s most experienced spinner Nathan Lyon in a key match.
Lyon, with 532 Test wickets, bowls comfortably in the Adelaide pitch with sharp, bouncy spin.
Sharma will be tasked with leading the middle order against the Lyon genius in pink ball cricket.
Mitchell Starc vs Yashasvi Jaiswal
Australia’s pink-ball specialist Starc, who scored 66 wickets in day-night Tests, will try Jaiswal’s technique.
The new opening batsman, who stood out in Perth, is now being tested for the first time under a pink-ball Test, where Starc’s seam and low-light pace could be a death trap.
Jasprit Bumrah vs Steven Smith
Bumrah, India’s pace spearhead, brings relentless accuracy and movement, making him a nightmare for the struggling Steven Smith in Perth.
Bumrah, who scored just 17 runs in the first Test, will look to take advantage of Smith’s dip in form.
IND vs AUS Key Players
IND: Yashashwi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Rohit Sharma, Mohammad Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah will be the key players for India.
OUT: Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Travis Head, Scott Boland and Pat Cummins will be the key players for Australia.
IND vs AUS Air and Pitch Report
Adelaide promises pleasant cricket weather for IND vs AUS Test match. Daytime highs will continue in the 76°F-89°F range with minimal rain, though a late-day shower is unlikely.
Sunny intervals and moderate winds will prevail, overall good conditions for cricket.
Adelaide’s pitches are generally bat-friendly, with even bounce and decent early pace. However, the longer the game, the more spin kicks in because the support comes from a dry patch of surface
