Indian Women’s Team Shines Bright in Mumbai
It would take something extraordinary to distract from the Indian women’s team’s extraordinary overnight achievements in Mumbai. But maybe the MCG, packed with nearly 90,000 screaming Indian cricket fans, could draw some attention, at least for a night. And then, naturally and justifiably, the spotlight returns to the DY Patil Stadium, where Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, and their stellar team are poised to make history in the World Cup final.
Excitement Builds for the 2nd T20I in Melbourne
That doesn’t mean there won’t be plenty of energy and excitement surrounding the second T20I of the five-match series in Melbourne this evening. However, much of the buzz leading up to that will revolve around Rodrigues and the way she led India to victory in a world-record chase. But after the disappointment of the opening match in Canberra being washed out due to rain two nights ago, the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is expected to be abuzz with excitement as two of the world’s best T20 teams prepare to take the field.
India’s Memorable Moments at the MCG
India have fond memories of their last two T20 International tours to Australia. While they thrashed Zimbabwe in their most recent match here, their last league match before the 2022 T20 World Cup, the match against Pakistan in the same tournament will also be forever remembered by those who attended Australia’s hallowed grounds. According to dozens of AFL Grand Final watchers here, the Australian ground was as noisy as ever.
Rising Stars Ready for the Big Stage
The 9.4-over match in Canberra itself provided clues as to why this Indian T20 team is perhaps the most exciting in terms of talent ever. For Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, and the rest, this will be their first opportunity to showcase their talent on one of cricket’s most prestigious grounds. And Melbourne fans will get a chance to see firsthand what really makes them so exciting, especially if the weather holds.
Match Details
When: Australia vs India, 2nd T20I, October 31, 2025, 19:15 hrs local time (13:45 hrs IST)
Where: MCG, Melbourne
Weather and Pitch Conditions
After a draw in Canberra, the weather in Melbourne two days later isn’t looking particularly good. Ironically, the Victorian capital has been pleasantly sunny for the past two days, but since Friday morning, rain has been lingering in the air and clouds have cast a gloomy shadow over the sky. Most radars indicate the rain will ease after 5 p.m., allowing the match to start on time. As with previous summers, the MCG pitch will be keenly watched, not just for the 40 overs, but for what this could mean for the entire season.
Team News
Australia
Although there were some expensive overs for most of the Australian bowlers between the rain breaks, no changes are likely to be made to the XI that played in Canberra, with Josh Philippe coming in as a specialist batsman.
Posible XI: Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (c), Josh Inglis (wk), Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, Mitch Owen, Josh Philippe, Nathan Ellis, Xavier Bartlett, Matthew Kuhnemann, Josh Hazlewood.
India
It’s not the first time that the omission of Arshdeep Singh, India’s most successful bowler in this format, and Harshit Rana, who has bolstered the batting in the lower order, has raised eyebrows. But India are likely to field the same combination from Wednesday night.
Probable XI: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Tilak Verma, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Shivam Dubey, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.
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