Melbourne, Oct 31 (UNI) Australia captain Mitchell Marsh once again backed his tried and tested formula of chasing, winning his 19th T20I toss and opting to bowl first against India in the second T20I at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
Both teams wore black armbands and observed a moment’s silence in memory of Australian teenager Ben Austin, who tragically died after being struck by a ball during nets earlier this week.
India, led by Suryakumar Yadav, made no changes to their winning combination, reflecting their commitment to an aggressive brand of cricket. “We are happy to bat first. That’s the brand we want to play,” said Suryakumar, adding that his top-order partner Shubman Gill “knows how to score runs” and emphasizes running hard between wickets.
The hosts, meanwhile, brought in Matthew Short for Josh Philippe. Marsh said he expected a stable pitch over the 40 overs, hinting at a steady surface ideal for chasing.
Early signs of moisture from pre-match rain could assist the new-ball bowlers, with India’s Abhishek Sharma and Australia’s Josh Hazlewood expected to play key roles in the powerplay. Harsha Bhogle summed up the mood aptly, noting, “Trust Abhishek to clear the big MCG boundaries at will.”
The teams lined up as follows:
India (Playing XI) Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (w), Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.
Australia (Playing XI): Mitchell Marsh (c), Travis Head, Josh Inglis (w), Tim David, Matthew Short, Mitchell Owen, Marcus Stoinis, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Josh Hazlewood.
The match promises another high-octane India–Australia battle under lights at the MCG, with both sides looking to assert dominance in this short-format rivalry.
