After a humiliating 3-0 defeat to New Zealand at home, India was not deemed as a threat to the Australian team for the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. There were talks of them getting battered in the series and exiting from the World Test Championship final scenario, but in return, the team stunned the hosts in the first Test at Perth, clinching a solid 295-run victory. Since then, the Australian media has been buzzing as the visitors are once again back in contention and are now favorites to seal a third back-to-back series away series down under.
Favourite more so because Australia’s top-order batting unit completely flopped in the first Test. The senior batters, including Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, and Steve Smith failed to make an impact and their form over the last few matches hasn’t been good as well. On top of that, ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah breathed fire in Perth, and with a pink ball in hand, things may not go well for the Australian batters again in the second.
However, the hosts are still unbeaten in Day-Night Tests at home. That will give them some confidence and the players will be hoping to bounce back after a defeat. The last time these two nations played a Pink Ball Test, India was bundled for only 36 runs in the second innings and that is one thing that will be in the heads of the senior cricketers, who were part of that tour.
Meanwhile, plenty of Indian players have no experience of playing against Pink Ball and it needs to be seen how well they adapt. The ball usually comes faster to the bat and hand-eye coordination is extremely key. The technicality of the players will be tested. Even though both teams have quality players in the ranks, reading the Pink Ball, especially in twilight will be an extremely challenging task.
Bowlers usually love playing Day-Night Tests as the conditions favor them massively. The pacers dominate the first two days of the game and later, spinners also can be effective, as Nathan Lyon confirmed two days before the first Test. Overall, a spectacular game awaits, where on one hand, Australia will be determined to win and make a comeback in the series, while India will be hoping to take revenge for the infamous 36 all-out.
Match Details
| Match | Australia vs India, Second Test |
| Date & Time | December 06-10, 9:30 am IST |
| Venue | Adelaide Oval, Adelaide |
| Live Broadcast and Streaming Details | Star Sports Network and Disney+ Hotstar (app and website) |
Pitch Report
Bowlers will dominate. Batting won’t be easy, and the captain winning the toss should bowl first. The batters need to take some time to settle down and then look forward to scoring. An aggressive mindset right from the beginning may prove to be costly, especially when playing under lights at the Adelaide Oval.
Also Read: Rohit Sharma confirms to bat in middle order in second Test against Australia
Head-to-Head Record
| Matches Played | 108 |
| Won by Australia | 45 |
| Won by India | 33 |
| Drawn / No Result | 29 |
| Tied | 01 |
| First-ever Fixture | November 28–December 02, 1947 |
| Most-recent Fixture | November 22-26, 2024 |
Probable Playing XI:
Australia (AUS)
Australia have already announced their squad for the second Test. Scott Boland will be replacing Josh Hazlewood, who’s out with a ‘low grade left side injury’. There were doubts regarding Mitchell Marsh’s fitness but he will feature in the playing XI. However, his bowling fitness is still a doubt.
Predicted XI: Nathan McSweeney, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey (wicketkeeper), Pat Cummins (captain), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, and Scott Boland.
India (IND)
India is expected to make three changes to the playing XI. Captain Rohit Sharma will be coming back to the squad and is very likely to replace Dhruv Jurel, as KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal will continue at the top of the order. Shubman Gill will be coming back in place of Devdutt Padikkal and Ravichandran Ashwin is expected to replace Washington Sundar.
Predicted XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Rohit Sharma (captain), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravichandran Ashwin, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, and Jasprit Bumrah.
Disclaimer: This latest news is based on the author’s understanding, analysis, and instinct. As you review this information, consider the points mentioned and form your own conclusions.