Following their defeat in the opening ODI, the Indian cricket team, led by Shubman Gill, is now in a do-or-die scenario as they head into the second match against Australia in Adelaide on Thursday.
Published: October 22, 2025 11:42 PM IST
After dropping the first ODI, the Indian team, led by Shubman Gill, is under pressure to win the second match against Australia in Adelaide on Thursday. With only three games in the series, every match counts, and there’s little time to recover.
Team India’s top four:
In the opening game, India’s top four, Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Shreyas Iyer, failed to score big, and the team ended up with just 136/9 in a rain-shortened 26-over contest. Only KL Rahul and Axar Patel showed some resistance with the bat. Another talking point from the first ODI was that Kuldeep Yadav wasn’t included in the playing XI.
Many cricket experts believe that including left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav
Many cricket experts believe that including left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav could strengthen India’s bowling attack. But if he is to be added to the playing XI, someone else must make way. Let’s look at India’s possible line-up for the second ODI against Australia.
The top four are likely to get another opportunity to perform
Even though Rohit Sharma (8), Shubman Gill (10), Virat Kohli (0), and Shreyas Iyer (11) didn’t score much in the first match, they are expected to keep their spots. The Indian team often starts a series slowly, so the top four are likely to get another opportunity to perform.
KL Rahul, who also keeps wickets, and spin all-rounder Axar Patel are also expected to stay in the team unless there are fitness issues.
What may be the bowling combination?
The biggest question will be about the bowling combination. In the first ODI, India played three fast bowlers, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, and Harshit Rana. Along with them, fast-bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who is 22 years old, was also picked. For spin support, Washington Sundar partnered with Axar Patel.
If Kuldeep Yadav is brought in, he will probably replace either Nitish Kumar Reddy or Harshit Rana. Rana bowled four overs for 27 runs without taking a wicket, while Reddy scored 19 runs and had figures of 0/16. Both had average performances, so it will be interesting to see who the team management leaves out to bring Kuldeep into the squad.
Team India’s predicted XI:
Predicted XI: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy/Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: india.com
