Australia vs India – 2nd Test Match Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is Australia vs India taking place? Friday, December 25th, 2020 – 23:30 (UK)
Where is Australia vs India taking place? Melbourne Cricket Ground
What is the expected weather for Australia vs India? 19-28cc with overcast conditions forecast throughout the five days and a chance of showers on Sunday
What channel is Australia vs India on? The match will be televised live on BT Sport 1 (Sky channel 413)
Where can I stream Australia vs India? The match can be streamed live using the BT Sport app
Where can I get tickets for Australia vs India? Tickets for this match can be purchased here!
LAST MEETING
Australia beat India by 8 wickets
THE TEAM NEWS
AUSTRALIA
- Australia got off to a winning start in this four-Test series by beating India by eight wickets in the opening Test in Adelaide but it was not without drama as the hosts looked to be struggling after the first innings but their bowlers won the Test for them in the second by bowling India out for just 36.
- It has been confirmed that they will be without David Warner once again so they will open with Joe Burns and Matthew Wade and the runs that Burns managed in the second innings will go a long way to boosting his confidence after a tough run.
- The likelihood is that they will name an unchanged line-up for this game given how well they played and after bowling India out for just 36 in 21.2 overs, their star bowling attack was not overused so they will be fresh and raring to go yet again.
INDIA
- India were competing so well in the opening Test until that abysmal display in the second innings so they will have to overcome the psychological impact from being bowled out for 36 where no batsmen reached double figures.
- Their task has become even harder by the absence of skipper Virat Kohli who has returned home for the birth of his child while Mohammed Shami has been ruled out after being struck on the arm so two enforced changes are required.
- KL Rahul and Shubman Gill are candidates to come into the batting line-up in place of Kohli and potentially one of the openers as Shaw and Agarwal both struggled in the first Test, while Ravindra Jadeja, Navdeep Saini and Mohammed Siraj are vying to replace Shami.
THE PREDICTION
The opening Test of this series was packed with drama and now all the pressure is on the tourists coming into this second match at the MCG without their talismanic skipper Virat Kohli. Along with his absence, Mohammed Shami is also out of action and that will make their task even harder in Melbourne. Australia will be buoyed by that performance in the opening Test and while there were a few question marks over their batting, that was nothing in comparison to the tourists. In classic Australian style, expect them to keep their foot on the throttle and steamroller India for another victory here.
