India Vs. Australia 2nd ODI: Visitors Eye the Second Game

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The first ODI was ruined by rain where India won by 26 runs (Duckworth Lewis Method). On the day of the second ODI, here in Eden Gardens, the pitch seems grassy. The pitch remained under covers for most of the time. Rain threat is still hovering over the venue. Both of the teams took a good look at the pitch to analyze the conditions.

East Zone curator Ashish Bhowmick said, “We need at least two hours of sunshine to get the ground ready. We are well-equipped and keeping our fingers crossed.” The ground is damp and will help pacers like Nathan Coulter-Nile to perform well against the hosts. He shattered India’s batting order with 3 wickets in the first ODI.

In overcast conditions, top Indian batsmen will be the focus. The top Indian batting order failed in the 1st ODI and only MS Dhoni and Hardik Pandya showed their class.

Australian skipper Steven Smith has admitted that rain ruined their game in the 1st ODI. For the pitch here in Kolkata he said, "There's a little bit of grass on it -more than I've seen (anywhere) in India for a while." Australia’s last four ODIs have been affected by rain, two of them washed-out completely. They are keen on having a full game on Thursday.

The 2nd ODI is a milestone for Smith as it is his 100th ODI. He has to make his innings memorable for Australia to ace against the hosts. This is an important game for the Aussies to win. If they fail they should quell their chances of winning the series.

Talking about India, Kohli promised after the 1st ODI that a course correction will be made in the batting order. This is to keep the middle order out of any pressure. With top batsmen like Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane failing in the first match, let’s see how Kohli will manage his lineup in the second ODI.