Steve Smith captains Australia in 2nd ODI against India; Pat Cummins rested

Australia's regular captain Pat Cummins has opted out of the second ODI against India in Indore, prompting Steve Smith to step in as captain yet again. The tourists will also miss the services of Mitchell Marsh, who has also been rested, with the 2023 World Cup on the horizon.

Cummins played the opening game in Mohali, which was his first ODI since November 2022. He bagged decent figures of 10-0-44-1, dismissing Ishan Kishan for his sole wicket of the innings. Marsh, on the other hand, didn't bowl and managed to score only 4 runs in the first ODI, dismissed by Mohammed Shami.

Smith, who captained Australia on numerous occasions before, had a decent outing, scoring 41 off 60 deliveries before Mohammed Shami cleaned him up.

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Steve Smith sends India into bat after winning the toss

Steve Smith. (Image Credits: Twitter)

Steve Smith has won the toss and has sent KL Rahul-led India to bat first at the Holkar Cricket Stadium. The tourists trail the three-match series by 1-0 after suffering a five-wicket loss in Mohali.

Batting first, the Men in Yellow managed 276 on the board, headlined by David Warner top-scoring with 52. While Smith and Josh Inglis also made notable scores, they couldn't convert it into anything substantial as Shami took his second ODI fifer.

In response, Shubman Gill and Ruturaj Gaikwad stitched together a 142-run opening stand to set up the run-chase. Leg-spinner Adam Zampa sent both openers back to the pavilion, while Pat Cummins snapped Ishan Kishan when the hosts still required 92 runs.

Nevertheless, KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav kept their heads in the right place and threaded an 80-run partnership to put India on the brink of victory. The latter fell immediately after his half-century, while Rahul hit the winnings to put India 1-0 up.