The Australian skipper’s choice to field first in the second ODI could very well backfire, given the record at this venue.
Australia's Aaron Finch (C) takes part in a practice session with his teammates. (Photo by Jewel SAMAD / AFP)
The second match of the three-match ODI series between India and Australia will be played on Friday at Rajkot. It is a do or die game for India as they have already lost the opening match of the series at Wankhede, Mumbai.
This will not be an easy task for Virat Kohli and his men as India are yet to win a match at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot. However, India would be happy that they have lost the toss and have been invited to bat first since no team batting second has ever won a match at this venue.
Stats at this venue
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The history of the Saurashtra Cricket Association, Rajkot is not very old. The first ODI at this venue was played in 2013 while the last was played in 2015. These are the only two International matches which have been played at this venue.
In 2013, England won the toss batted first and won the match while in 2015 it was the South African team that decided to bat first after winning the toss and ended up on the winning side. The Australian skipper’s choice to field first in the second ODI could very well backfire, given the record at this venue.
A batting-friendly deck at the venue
The Rajkot wicket is traditionally a batting-friendly one. The highest score at this venue is 325 which England had made in 2013. India also made more than 300 runs at that venue in that match but failed to win the match. The second match at this venue also saw both the teams scoring more than 250 runs.
Given that India have been invited to bat first, Virat Kohli and his men would look to score big and put the opposition under some kind of scoreboard pressure.
Only 1 centurion at this venue
This International venue has only seen 1 centurion and it is not an Indian player. South Africa’s Quinton de Kock scored a match-winning hundred at this venue and is the lone centurion at this ground. India would hope to add to that list with Virat having 92 runs against his name at this venue. Rohit Sharma too would look to make amends after he was dismissed cheaply in the first ODI.
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