NEW DELHI: After a tepid performance in the series opener, the young Indian bowling unit is gearing up to face the formidable Australian batting line-up in the second T20 on Sunday. Despite securing a narrow two-wicket win in the first game at Visakhapatnam, India’s bowlers, with the exception of pacer Mukesh Kumar, struggled to contain the run-flow.
The Greenfield International Stadium, hosting the second T20, offers conditions not vastly different from the series opener, putting the onus on the Indian bowlers to step up collectively.

While there may be a temptation to tinker with the bowling order, the management is likely to maintain the current lineup for this match.

In the previous encounter, pacers Arshdeep Singh and Prasidh Krishna, along with leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi, faced challenges, going for high run rates. Mukesh Kumar, on the other hand, showcased variety and imagination in his deliveries, providing a template for the other bowlers to follow.

The Indian bowlers will need to learn from their previous performance, particularly in the case of Bishnoi, who struggled against the aggressive approach of Josh Inglis. There is a need for greater variety in Bishnoi’s bowling approach to keep the opposition guessing.

Prasidh Krishna, coming off recent exposure in the 50-over World Cup, was also underwhelming, and he will be expected to show a more concerted effort in this match.

On the batting front, India’s top order, featuring Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Rinku Singh, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, exhibited fine form against the Australian bowlers in the first game. The team will look to maintain the momentum, with Kishan aiming to reduce the number of dot balls during his innings.
In the Australian camp, the century from Josh Inglis in the series opener provided a positive note, especially as he opened the innings. However, the decision to promote Steve Smith as an opener did not yield the desired results, with the veteran right-hander struggling to accelerate.
Both teams will be looking for improvements in their bowling departments, and Australia might introduce leg-spinner Adam Zampa in place of Tanvir Sangha for added variety.

Squads:
India: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad (vice-captain), Ishan Kishan, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Shivam Dubey, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar.
Australia: Matthew Wade (captain), Aaron Hardie, Jason Behrendorff, Sean Abbott, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Kane Richardson, Adam Zampa.
Match starts at 7 PM.
(With inputs from PTI)