IND vs AUS 2023: 3 player battles to watch at the 2nd ODI
India pulled off a thrilling victory over Australia in the first ODI of a three-match series at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. The hosts ran into serious trouble on 16/3 while chasing a modest target of 189.
However, a key partnership between KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya and Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja saw Men in Blue weather the storm and win the game by five wickets.
Rahul (75*) has once again proven why he is a key member of the mid-level Indian team. Jadeja (45* and 2/45) won his Player of the Match award for his all-around performance.
The juggernaut now travels to Vizag for the second ODI on Sunday (19 March) and Australia are determined to keep the hosts from taking an impregnable 2-0 lead in the series. You will know that you have to make a strong comeback.
There are certain matchups that made the 1st ODI so interesting, and others based on my performance history from previous matches.
So let’s take a look at three matchups that could make or break the outcome of the Vizag ODI.
#3 Steve Smith vs Mohammed Shammi
Mohammed Shammi It was one of the main reasons for Australia’s batting collapse in the first ODI at Wankhede stadium. With just six overs, Shami allowed his 17 runs and took 3 wickets. This proves that once he catches his rhythm, he becomes almost unplayable.
The current composition of the Australian side makes the stand-in captain believe Steve Smith You have to score big and build a platform for other explosive hitters to follow. After failing on his ODI the first time, Smith is determined to prove a point with his Vizag.
However, the Australian star has had an interesting matchup with Shammi, with statistics suggesting both players are nearly evenly dominant over each other. He conceded 107 runs in deliveries, but dismissed a batsman three times. The Men in Blue count on him to fire Smith early.
#2 Virat Kohli vs Mitchell Stark
Mitchell Stark He looked like he was back in his vintage best, so he turned the clock back on the first ODI. With the help of his swing on the pitch and the ball, Starck shook his orders for the top of India and won the wicket. Birat Kohli Suryakumar Yadav in continuous delivery.
Interestingly, this is the first time Starc has sacked Kohli at an ODI, proving just how dominant the former Indian skipper was over Speedsters in this format. Swing Cori’s head collapsing while playing a flick across the line of his ball is something that has plagued him for years, and Stark is looking to exploit it again.
#1 Rohit Sharma vs Adam Zampa
Rohit Sharma After missing the Mumbai ODI for personal reasons, he will return to lead the India team in the remaining two ODIs of the series. The explosive opener was definitely missed by the hosts in the first game, and we expect him to score big in the remaining two ODIs.
Like Kohli, even Rohit’s game against recent list spins has been put under the scanner. This makes for an interesting matchup against leg spinner Adam Zampa. Rohit scored 119 runs off 124 balls for Zampa, but at the ODI he was dismissed four times. Zampa did not perform well in his first ODI and hopes to make an impact in Vizag against the opposition captains.