Australia v India Second ODI Tips: India the bet to hit back

• Australia should have Zampa and Carey available

• India may improve after opening defeat
• Adelaide could be good for bating

• Kohli loves playing at venue

Australia v India
Thursday 23 October, 04.30
TV: Live on TNT

Australia v India Second ODI team news

Australia welcome back key players as they look to seal the series with a game to spare. Adam Zampa is expected back in the fold after he missed the first match as he awaited the birth of his child while Alex Carey returns after Sheffield Shield duty.

That will mean a reshuffle. Matt Kuhnemann, the replacement spinner, should make way for Zampa but how they fit in Carey is more of a puzzle. Dropping Josh Phillipe would seem harsh so the axe could fall instead on Cooper Connolly.

With one eye on the Ashes, Australia will be desperate for the win so they can rest Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc for game three. Matt Renshaw should keep his spot with a score likely to mean a Test call-up.

Possible Australia XI: Head, Marsh, Short, Phillipe, Renshaw,  Carey, Owen, Starc, Hazlewood, Ellis, Zampa

India remain a curious dichotomy. They have the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma who have batted once since IPL. And then a host of players who were involved in the Test seris against West Indies.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Kohli and Rohit struggled in game one, contributing eight runs between them. KL Rahul and Axar Patel led a rescue mission with the bat in a rain-affected game but a total of 136 off 26 overs was never going to be enough.

The tourists will probably go with the same XI but a conversation will be had about whether Kuldeep Yadav makes a difference. In the end, though, the twin batting abilities of Axar and Washington Sundar will probably mean they're unchanged in terms of spin. Harshit Rana could miss out to Prasidh Krishna, though. 

Possible India XI: Rohit, Kohli, Gill, Shreyas, Rahul, Axar, Reddy, Sundar,  Arshdeep, Siraj, Prasidh

Australia v India Second ODI pitch report

The average score batting first in the last ten ODI at Adelaide Oval is 253. There have been an average of 8.3 sixes per game. It's not been a hugely successful ground for Australia in the last three. They were thrashed by Pakistan there last year, being razed for 163. The other side of a win over England saw them beaten by India in 2019. Only Carey remains from that XI but it is instructive who did the damage for India. Kohli hit a brilliant century in a tough chase.

India's total match runs at over 257.5 with Sportsbook at 10/111.91 is of interest. Their average total in the last 10 is 243 but one would hope for a flat Adelaide surface. No rain is forecast.

Australia v India Second ODI match prediction

Australia are 1.705/7 with India 2.407/5. That's some cut after victory in game one for the hosts, who went off in the 1.865/6 region. It is not the worst idea to reckon that this is an overeaction.

India really should have improved for the run out in Perth while net sessions would have also been beneficial. In terms of form, India should be close to capable of showing that there is very little to choose between the two.

In 2024, Australia have played 19 and lost nine of them. They are the world champions but in name only it seems. By contrast, India have lost three from 12 over the same period.

Personnel, of course, changes over even such a short study sample but tactics and methods don't. India might just be capable of showing that they have more effective plans.

Australia v India Second ODI player bets

Kohli will be popular for top India bat given this is one of his most profitable grounds for runs. He has a tremendous record here across formats. Betfair Sportsbook offers 16/54.20, which is implied probability of 23.8%. His win rate is 23%. Rohit has a win rate of 33% so there is a fair chunk in our favour at 4/15.00, which is 20%. 

For Australia, we often turn to Adam Zampa for top bowler wins but since the end of the last World Cup his win rate has dipped significantly. It's only 21% so we have to swerve his odds when they become available.

Now read Ed's Ultimate Guide to The Ashes