2nd ODI: Pressure ascends on Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer in the first ODI against Australia was unable to score many runs he will now look to get runs Meanwhile Ravichandran Ashwin will look to get wickets with his spin tricksDespite missing four firstXI players including skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli India were able to win the first ODI rather comfortably and look on course to secure the series at the Holkar Stadium which usually produces highscoring gamesAlso Read IN PHOTOS India vs Australia series openerRain in the city has brought the temperature down which will be welcomed by the players from either side after experiencing unusual heat and humidity in MohaliThe game on Friday had enough positives for India mainly the performance of Mohammad Shami and Suryakumar Yadav but few questions still need to be answered ahead of the World Cup beginning October 5Indias designated number 4 Iyer whose fitness came under the scanner in the Asia Cup even though he was coming back from a long injurylay off has not been able to get time in the middle due to different reasonsWhile a back spasm ruled him out of the business end of Asia Cup an avoidable run out on Friday ended his nervy 8ball stay in the centreThe righthander will be hoping for a bagful of runs in the coming two games which would make him and his team feel much better going into the global eventAshwin on the other hand came up with a tidy bowling effort in his comeback game but was not able to put the Australian batters in much discomfort on a flat track He was not able to generate much turn and his flatter deliveries were easily negotiated by the oppositionThe champion spinner could still make a last minute entry into Indias World Cup if Axar Patel doesnt get fit in time but the team management expects more from the 37yearold than what he managed on FridayIt also remains to be seen if another offspinner Washington Sundar gets a game If that happens on Sunday Ashwin might have to warm the benchShardul Thakur too would be looking for an improvement from the first game having conceded 78 runs in 10 overs while all the other bowlers returned frugal figuresHe does have a knack of picking wickets and coming up with a useful cameo with the bat but he has not been able to do that consistently in the ODI formatThakur will only be used sporadically in the World Cup and therefore he would be keen to make the most of the chances he gets in the ongoing seriesIn the batting department worlds best T20 batter Suryakumar Yadav seems to have cracked the ODI code after a prolonged lean patchThe management has told him to consume 4550 balls every game which is enough for someone like him to make a telling impact on the match He just did that on Friday with a well paced halfcenturyLike India Australia too were missing some of their key players in the opener including Mitchell Starc Glenn Maxwell and Josh Hazlewood Skipper Pat Cummins hinted after the game in Mohali that they might only be ready by the third game in Rajkot on September 27Australia won the series in India earlier this year and find themselves in a mustwin situation on Sunday Josh Inglis showed promise with a run a ball 45 but the middleorder needs to be more consistentVeteran opener David Warner has carried his good form from South Africa to India and would be looking to maintain it over the next couple of monthsSteve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne were guilty of throwing their starts in Mohali and a big hundred will be needed from either of them if Australia are to comeback in the seriesThe last ODI was played here in January when India amassed 385 against New Zealand with Rohit and Shubman Gill smashing hundredsRohit will not be around but trust Gill to do an encore in front of a vibrant Indore crowdSquadsIndia K L Rahul captain Ravindra Jadeja Ruturaj Gaikwad Shubman Gill Shreyas Iyer Suryakumar Yadav Tilak Varma Ishan Kishan Shardul Thakur Washington Sundar R Ashwin Jasprit Bumrah Mohd Shami Mohd Siraj Prasidh KrishnaAustralia Pant Cummins captain Alex Carey Nathan Ellis Cameron Green Adam Zampa Marcus Stoinis Mitchell Starc Steve Smith David Warner Josh Hazlewood Spencer Johnson Marnus Labuschagne Mitchell Marsh Glenn Maxwell Tanvir Sangha Matt ShortMatch starts 130 PM ISTWith Agency Inputs