Adelaide: The highly anticipated second ODI between India and Australia at the Adelaide Oval began with a dramatic opening session. Team India, led by Rohit Sharma, were sent in to bat after Mitchell Marsh won the toss and opted to field first. Australia’s new-ball duo of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood immediately made the most of the cloudy conditions, dismissing Shubman Gill 9 (9) and Virat Kohli 4 (0) cheaply. At the end of 6.5 overs, India were struggling at 17/2, with Rohit Sharma (8*) and Shreyas Iyer at the crease trying to steady the innings.
The early wickets have once again exposed India’s vulnerability against high-quality swing bowling, an issue that has persisted through the series. The pressure now sits squarely on the middle order to rebuild and push India to a competitive total.
Weather Report: Cloud cover, humidity, and dew on the horizon
Conditions in Adelaide have been partly cloudy, with temperatures around 21°C and rising humidity levels. Light showers are possible later in the evening, which could make the ball skid on the surface. The dew factor is expected to play a major role, making it harder for bowlers, especially spinners to grip the ball in the second innings.
This weather pattern historically gives a slight advantage to teams chasing under lights, so India’s batting recovery will be crucial to setting a defendable target.
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Pitch and Venue Analysis
The Adelaide Oval pitch has a reputation for being balanced — firm enough for stroke play but offering early movement for quicks. The green tinge visible at the start has already provided bounce and seam for Starc and Hazlewood. As the evening progresses, batting conditions should improve, especially if the surface flattens out. However, spinners like Kuldeep Yadav and Matthew Kuhnemann may find it challenging later due to the dew.
Playing Squads
India XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna.
Australia XI: Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (c), Marnus Labuschagne, Matt Renshaw, Matthew Short, Josh Philippe (wk), Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Matthew Kuhnemann.
Expected Score and Match Outlook
With two wickets down inside the first eight overs, India’s initial target of 300 now looks ambitious. A realistic total could fall between 250 and 280, depending on how Kohli and KL Rahul handle the middle overs. Australia, with their experienced bowling unit and the advantage of chasing under favourable evening conditions, will back themselves to restrict India below par.
If the dew sets in as expected, Australia’s powerful top order — led by Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh — could make short work of any total under 280.
Match Prediction
At this stage, Australia hold the upper hand. India’s hopes hinge on Kohli’s ability to anchor the innings and the lower middle order adding vital runs. But given the early movement, toss advantage, and the pitch likely to ease under lights, Australia remain favourites to take the 2-0 lead in this ODI series.
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