A bad news followed Team India a day ahead of the all-important second T20I against Australia as the India's practice session has been cancelled on Thursday (September 22).
In a bid to keep the series alive, Rohit Sharma & Co. will look to go all guns blazing against Australia in the second T20I at Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur, on Friday (September 23) but right before the match, rain god interrupted Team India's practice session. This has also casted doubts on the high-octane clash if the rain persists.
This also impacted the pre-match Presser which will now take place online.
India lost the first T20I against Australia despite posting a daunting 209-run target as the Aaron Finch-led side made the mockery of Indian bowling and overhauled the mountainous target with four wickets and four balls to spare.
Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah's fitness status will be a matter of attention when an out of sorts Indian team will look at course correction options against Australia in the second T20 International and strive to keep the three-match series alive.
Bumrah, who has been out of action since the end of England tour, skipped the Asia Cup due to back injury.
However, to everyone's surprise, the team management didn't play him during the high-scoring first T20I in Mohali, raising doubts whether he has still attained peak fitness or not.
To compound the team's worries, the 'three-and-a-half' pronged pace attack, including Hardik Pandya, conceded 150 runs in 14 overs.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the seasoned pro, has already been taken to cleaners. He has leaked 49 runs in the three penultimate overs (19th) that he bowled against Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Australia.
In this backdrop, a fit and fiery Bumrah is a pre-requisite for India as the home bowlers are increasingly being found out on batting belters.
The worst part about the team is that with five more official T20Is left before the opening T20 World Cup game against Pakistan on October 23, the Indian team looks highly unsettled.
If the approach of top three was a problem going into the Asia Cup, the bigger worry has been the bowling which has been exposed in good batting conditions.
The wicket at VCA stadium, however, will be different than the Mohali track. It is expected to be on the slower side, which will make bowlers' role more prominent in this game.
With dew setting in the evening, teams will prefer to chase than defend totals.
Australia's squad for 2nd T20I: Aaron Finch (C), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Daniel Sams, Steve Smith, Matthew Wade, Adam Zampa.
India's squad for 2nd T20I: Rohit Sharma (C), KL Rahul (vc), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, Ravichandaran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav.
