India will play against Australia in the second One-day International of the three-match series on March 19. The high-voltage 50-over battle is slated to take place at the YS Raja Reddy Cricket Stadium in Andhra Pradesh. The contest will see the return of Indian captain Rohit Sharma, who missed the previous assignment due to personal reasons. He is expected to replace out-of-form Ishan Kishan in the opening slot alongside Subhman Gill.

Designated vice-captain Hardik Pandya, who was given leadership responsibility in the first ODI, lived up to the expectations. Under the all-rounder’s captaincy, the Men in Blue beat Australia by 5 wickets in the earlier face-off.

The first ODI turned out to be a memorable one for the bowlers. As many as three players from both sides including Mohammad Siraj, Mohammad Shami and Mitchell Starc took three wickets each. In what were difficult conditions for the batters, KL Rahul played a match-winning knock of 75 runs, which comprised seven fours and a six.

Jadeja was named the Player of the Match owing to his all-around performance. The southpaw scored a 69-ball 45, while also fetching two scalps.

Pitch Report

Unlike the first encounter, the second ODI between India and Australia is anticipated to be a high-scoring clash as the pitch at the venue is expected to be batting friendly. As the match progresses, the surface may become a little more conducive to the spinners, while pacers will need to battle hard to fetch wickets. The average first innings total at this venue is 241, in comparison to the second innings’ 211. The chasing unit holds a superior winning record, coming out victorious in 9 out of 14 matches.

Weather Report

The weather at the city is predicted to be partly cloudy on March 19 but rain is expected to stay away. The wind speed is expected to be around 12-14 km/h. The temperature could hover around 23 degrees Celsius to 35 degrees Celsius. The humidity is expected to be moderate as it will be almost 56-78 percent.

India (IND) vs Australia (AUS) Possible XIs

India Predicted Starting Line-up: Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma (C), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami

Australia Predicted Starting Line-up: Travis Head, Mitch Marsh, Steve Smith (C), Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis, Cameron Green, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Sean Abbott, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa

Get the latest Cricket News here