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Series on the line as India face unstoppable Oz

By Mumbai Indians

Australia outplayed India in all departments at the Wankhede in Mumbai and now eye a series win when they take the field in Rajkot. India will be hoping to put the loss behind and start afresh with the series on the line.

Virat Kohli’s side has to win the next ODI to keep themselves afloat in the three-match series. Ahead of the second game, here are five talking points:

Kohli back at No. 3?

While India’s new No. 3, KL Rahul, did impress with the bat, the Men in Blue looked like they missed captain Virat Kohli’s services at this position. Will the loss bring him back to bat at his favourite position?

Numbers too say that it serves better for the team if the Indian captain plays at number 3. While his average batting one-down is a staggering 63.09, at the fourth position, it drops to 55.21, with numbers from the recent past showing that he hasn’t scored over 20 in his last seven outings at No. 4 - 16, 7, 12, 11, 3*, 4, 9.

Rishabh Pant out, KL Rahul to continue ‘keeping

Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has been ruled out of the Rajkot game due to concussion after getting hit on the helmet in the first ODI. With no replacement being named, KL Rahul will continue to wear the ‘keeper’s gloves even in Rajkot.

This also gives room for one more batsman - will the team bring in all-rounder Kedar Jadhav or middle-order powerhouse Manish Pandey for the role?

Given the underperformance of the bowling department in the first game, India might want to have a back-up bowler in the form of Jadhav, giving him an edge to be in the playing XI over Pandey.

Eyes on Marnus Labuschagne

Since his seniors and openers David Warner and Aaron Finch finished the game for the Aussies, Marnus Labuschagne could not bat on his much-awaited debut. Given that he has been tremendous in Tests last year, all eyes will be on this man to see how he performs in his first outing with the bat.

Australia on an 11-match winning streak

If they win the second ODI at Rajkot, not only will they take an unassailable 2-0 lead in this series, they will also be winning their 12th match on the trot. Only an above-par performance by the Indians, in all the three departments of the game, can put a full-stop to this.

Rajkot - another batting paradise

While dew helped Australia’s cause in Mumbai, Rajkot has traditionally been a flat track.

The Indian pacers lacked rhythm with all of them going for over 7 runs per over. While the spinners were more economical, at around 5 runs per over, they failed to get the breakthroughs that India needed.

The second ODI between India and Australia is scheduled for 1.30 pm on Friday, 17th January 2020.