Australia vs India 2018-19: 3 things India should do to make a comeback in the 2nd T20I

It was a close game at the Gabba as the rejuvenated Aussies pulled off a victory in the last over by a small margin. The Indians were expected to dominate the game but the inexperience of a few players in Australia was very evident.

But there were a few debatable decisions by the team management too, which need to be addressed before the second match. Here are three corrections Indian need to make in order to come out on top at MCG.

#1 Virat Kohli should bat at No. 3

There is no doubt that Virat Kohli is the best batsman in the world right now. He is a master of chases and hence, needs to be given as much time as possible in the middle.

The lack of a genuine No. 4 forced Kohli to make way for KL Rahul at No. 3 in the first T20I. Kohli was already under pressure by the time he came out to bat, and so was not able to make a successful contribution.

Kohli's record at No. 3 has been phenomenal, and he needs to come back to that position to give India the best chance of winning the game.

#2 India should include a sixth bowling option

Krunal Pandya went for plenty of runs in the first T20I

In recent times, India have walked on the dangerous line of having only five bowlers in a match. That proved to be their undoing in Brisbane; Kohli struggled to find a bowler when Krunal Pandya and Khaleel Ahmed were going for runs.

Eventually, India used only five bowlers out of which two went for 14 runs per over. This is a major weakness in the team and Kohli needs to give himself at least one extra bowling option for the next match.

The only possible way to do that would be to either drop Rahul or Rishabh Pant and bring Washington Sundar into the team. The absence of a fast bowling all-rounder means that Khaleel Ahmed will not be dropped and Chahal cannot be brought in.

Krunal and Sundar can pass muster at No. 6 and No. 7 with the bat and most importantly, there would be flexibility in the bowling line-up.

#3 Fielding standards need to be improved

India have been one of the best fielding sides in recent times. However, in the first match, they were poor on the field.

Kohli himself dropped a catch of Aaron Finch, and the other blunders helped Australia post a good score on the board.

India need to work on their fielding skills and get used to the conditions in Australia to avoid any embarrassments on the field on Friday. A better performance on the field is the need of the hour, or else the series could be in danger for India.