🏏 Australia tour of India 2023: 2nd T20I: November 26th 2023 🏏

🏏 Australia tour of India 2023: 2nd T20I: November 26th 2023 🏏

With a 1-0 lead in the 5-match series, Team India will face Australia at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram now.

Riding a stellar knock from Surykumar Yadav in the first game, Men in Blue defeated the Australian cricket team with a six off the last ball by Rinku Singh when they needed just one run off one ball to win the game.

For Australia, Steve Smith and Josh Inglis were the picks from the batting lineup.

Inglis scored a sensational hundred, and Smith had a partnership of 130 runs with him in that game. Stand-in skipper Matthew Wade would be keen on making a statement with his leadership role in the absence of first-choice captains Pat Cummins and Mitchell Marsh.

The conditions and record of the venue suggest that today will be a day when bowlers can shine for their team and keep the batters quiet. However, both sides have an explosive batting lineup in their teams.

India of course, come into this game full of confidence, having pulled off their most successful T20I run-chase despite a squad rife with inexperience.

Mukesh Kumar's immaculate death bowling, Rinku Singh's finishing skills, and the overall intent from everyone, including Yashasvi, Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav the captain himself, were notable, but there's work to be done, especially in regard to running between the wickets.

The first match saw as many as three run-outs, a joint-most for India in the format.

For Australia, Josh Inglis's 47-ball hundred and Jason Behrendorff's frugal spell with the ball, which saw him adeptly use slower deliveries on a true batting surface, stood out in a close two-wicket defeat.

And the team would have left Visakhapatnam knowing that it was a match that could have easily gone their way, so less separated the two teams. They would ideally want to touch down in Guwahati one-on-one.

Suryakumar Yadav has emerged as the top run-scorer in T20 internationals during the middle overs since 2021.

Not only did he clinch the Player of the Match title in the initial game, but he also assumed the captaincy responsibilities for India in this series.

Once again, the challenge upfront will be about adjusting to the nuances of conditions at this venue. Compared to Visakhapatnam, the pitch in this coastal city is likely to be slower, the bounce lower and the sun hotter, but India of all teams would know that conditions alone won't be enough to stump Australia.

Crowd attendances have been hot and cold at this venue, and how full (or not) this 50,000-seat stadium would look during the match is anybody's guess.

It rained heavily on the match eve but no disruptions are expected for the game. Today, it is dry and no rain is forecast.

With India leading 1-0 in the series, the second T20I in Thiruvananthapuram is eagerly awaited. However, recent heavy showers in the coastal city have raised concerns about possible rain interruptions.

According to Accuweather, showers are expected in the afternoon, but the evening sky is predicted to be relatively clear, offering hope for a full game.

The start of the match, however, will depend on the weather conditions and the drainage capacity of the Greenfield Stadium.

What to expect: Some help in the surface for the bowlers. In the last T20I here, South Africa were reduced to 9/5 in 2.3 overs by Arshdeep Singh and Deepak Chahar.

More recently, Mitchell Starc picked up a hat-trick in the ODI World Cup warm-up match against the Netherlands.

The pitch, which also looks ripe for slow turn, is located towards one side of the square, so expect the two captains to be wary of the shorter side while picking the ends for their bowlers.

The bounce test, conducted by the groundsmen on the eve of the game, suggested that good-length balls should bounce only as high as the shin.

The surface provides assistance to the bowlers. In the previous T20I at this venue, South Africa found themselves at 9/5 within 2.3 overs, courtesy of Arshdeep Singh and Deepak Chahar.

Additionally, in a more recent event at this location, Mitchell Starc achieved a hat-trick in the ODI World Cup warm-up match against the Netherlands.

Team News : India

The team could ideally stick to their winning combination but it would come with the familiar constraint of operating with four frontline bowlers and the all-round skills of Axar Patel. Luckily though, they have Tilak Varma who could roll his arm over on a slightly more spin-friendly pitch here in Thiruvananthapuram.

Washington Sundar and Jitesh Sharma, both of whom didn't play the first T20I, spent some one-on-one time with bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule during India's practice session on match eve.

Probable XI: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ishan Kishan(w), Suryakumar Yadav(c), Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar, Prasidh Krishna

Team News: Australia

Fast bowler Jason Behrendorff confirmed that everyone is available for selection for this match but don't be too surprised if Travis Head, Glenn Maxwell and Adam Zampa get some more time to put their feet up. That said, Glenn Maxwell's offbreaks against India's stream of left-handers would not be a bad idea.

Probable XI: Matthew Short, Steven Smith, Josh Inglis, Aaron Hardie, Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, Matthew Wade(w/c), Sean Abbott, Nathan Ellis, Jason Behrendorff, Tanveer Sangha

Did you know?

No one has scored more T20I runs than Suryakumar Yadav in the middle-overs since 2021

Across 6 T20Is, Rinku Singh averages 97 with a strike-rate of 194

Mukesh Kumar, one of the top performers in the first T20I, came in off cold performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, having picked only two wickets across five games and having conceded runs at an economy rate of 10.29

Thanks a lot for the tag

What they said

"Yeah, give the ball to someone else" - Jason Behrendorff is tongue-in-cheek while speaking of his bowling plans against Suryakumar Yadav

"I like finishing games too and I am learning from Rinku [Singh]. He's doing it very consistently for India" - Tilak Varma

When the Greenfield International Stadium here made its international cricket debut in 2017, the then India captain Virat Kohli had expressed "surprise" at why the venue hadn't hosted games earlier, so impressed he was with the outfield, the crowd, and facilities in general.

Six years later, this second T20I between India and Australia is going to be the sixth international cricket game here, despite a two-year COVID timeout.

Rinku Singh - The Finisher

In the span of six T20Is, Rinku Singh holds an impressive average of 97, coupled with a striking strike-rate of 194. Interestingly, in the first game, he concluded with a six; however, it wasn't officially tallied as the bowler had bowled a no ball. Consequently, India secured victory in that match.

Suryakumar Yadav Is Dominating T20Is

Suryakumar Yadav has been the leading run-scorer in T20 Internationals during the middle overs since 2021. He not only earned the Player of the Match title in the first game but also holds the captaincy role for India in this series.

All Eyes On Mukesh Kumar

Mukesh Kumar, a standout performer in the initial T20I, entered the match after a series of lackluster performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He managed to secure only two wickets in five games, and his economy rate stood at 10.29, indicating a challenging period leading up to the T20I.