After a disappointing end to the first T20I that was played between India and Australia on Thursday, all eyes are now set on the second T20I, which will be played on Saturday at the Carrara Oval in Queensland. The first of the three T20Is was abandoned due to rain and both the teams pocketed one point each. In this multi-format series, Australia lead by 7 points to India’s 5 points.
Preview: 2nd T20I India vs Australia
Squads
Australia: Meg Lanning, Ashleigh Gardner, Ellyse Perry, Nicola Carey, Annabel Sutherland, Alyssa Healy, Beth Mooney, Georgia Redmayne, Darcie Brown, Maitlan Brown, Stella Campbell, Hannah Darlington, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Molly Strano, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham
India: Renuka Singh Thakur, Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Yastika Bhatia, Meghna Singh, Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Harmanpreet Kaur, Shikha Pandey, Arundhati Reddy, Pooja Vastrakar, Richa Ghosh, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav, Radha Yadav
Players to watch out for
Smriti Mandhana: In the first T20I, she looked good as she mustered a quickfire 17 off 10 to give India a brisk start. She plundered a couple of boundaries and a six. India will want their in-form bat to play a long innings and guide the team to a big score.
Jemimah Rodrigues: She picked up from where she had left in the Hundred. Playing her first match of the multi-format series, the 21-year old Mumbai bat looked at home. She scored an unbeaten 49 off 36 balls, including seven boundaries. She played good cricketing shots and ran well between the wickets.
Ashleigh Gardner: Her all-round ability makes her a player to watch out for. In the first T20I, she was the pick of the bowlers scalping 2-28 in her three overs. She got rid of India’s prolific opening pair of Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana. More known for her aggressive batting, she is a genuine wicket-taker that Australia have found in recent times.
Alyssa Healy: Seeing the Indian batters tonking the Australian bowlers in the first T20I, this swashbuckling wicket-keeper bat will be itching to go out and bat. She is a destructive batter and if she is on the song she can provide the solid start to Australia at the top of the order.
Weather
The weather looks good since there is almost no chance (1%) of rain during the course of the match. The average temperatures are around 20 degrees Celsius with a 26% cloud cover and wind blowing from the west-northwest.
Pitch
The second T20I is likely to be played on the same wicket as the first T20I. This will be just the second T20I played at this venue in Queensland. After the first T20I, which was abandoned due to rain, it was clear that the wicket is a batting paradise. The batters will get value for their shots. Quick outfield and small boundaries will help the batters. However, there is some purchase for the bowlers as well, provided they stick to the basics and bowl disciplined lines and lengths. Dew may help the teams batting second as the bowlers will find it difficult to grip the ball in the latter half of the match.
Fantasy playing XI
Alyssa Healy, Richa Ghosh, Jemimah Rodrigues, Beth Mooney, Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, Deepti Sharma, Ashleigh Gardner, Sophie Molineux, Tayla Vlaeminck, Renuka Singh
Match details
Match: 2nd T20I India vs Australia
Venue: Carrara Oval, Queensland
Date: October 9, 2021
Time: 1.40pm IST
Live streaming: Sony LIV, Sony Ten 3 (Hindi), Sony Ten 4 (Tamil)
I am a former cricketer having represented Mumbai University at All India University level. I was a part of MCA probables for the U-19 and U-23 age group. I have been an avid cricket writer for the last five years. Currently I am pursuing my Ph.D from IIT Bombay.
