3 things India need to do right in the 2nd ODI vs Australia ft. playing Prasidh Krishna

India are all set to lock horns with Australia in the second ODI of the three-match series at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday, October 23. The visitors are currently 1-0 down in the rubber, having lost the opening ODI in Perth by seven wickets.

India need to be on point from a tactical perspective if they are to turn the series deficit around. Shubman Gill wouldn't want his first assignment as ODI skipper to end in defeat, and he will need to ensure that his decisions on and off the field align with the best possible approach.

India’s ODI squad for the Australia tour: Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal.

Australia's ODI squad for the India series: Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Owen, Josh Philippe, Matthew Renshaw, Matthew Short, Mitchell Starc. Games two and three only: Adam Zampa, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis.

On that note, here are three things India need to do right in the second ODI against Australia.

---

#3 India need to get their middle-order entry points right

India v New Zealand: Final - ICC Champions Trophy 2025 - Source: Getty

During the previous game, India made a couple of curious decisions, presumably with a left-right combination in mind. Coach Gautam Gambhir is known to be insistent on having such partnerships at the middle, even when it disturbs batters from their ideal roles.

After losing three wickets early in the powerplay, India sent in Axar Patel instead of KL Rahul at No. 5. The keeper-batter has rescued the side from a number of similar situations, with his technique and ability to handle movement being among the best in the world.

Later, when India needed quick runs at the death, Washington Sundar was promoted ahead of Nitish Kumar Reddy. The result was as expected, with Sundar going at a run a ball and Reddy striking a couple of sixes in the final over.

India need to get their middle-order entry points right by prioritizing skillsets over batting hand.

---

#2 Kuldeep Yadav will likely add more to the team than an all-rounder would

India v New Zealand: Final - ICC Champions Trophy 2025 - Source: Getty

Sundar was fielded ahead of Kuldeep Yadav in the opening ODI in Perth. While the Indian spinners picked up two of the three wickets to fall, it's safe to say that they are not the team's most potent threats through the middle overs.

Kuldeep, who has been one of the world's best spinners across formats over the last two years, simply must be picked in the starting XI. The left-arm wrist-spinner has the ability to run through opposition lineups even if there isn't much turn on offer, and we've seen Adelaide have something in it for bowlers of all kinds.

---

#1 India need to consider partnering Mohammed Siraj with Prasidh Krishna

Sri Lanka v India - ODI Series: Game 2 - Source: Getty

Harshit Rana and Mohammed Siraj went wicketless in the opening ODI in Perth, with both of them losing their lines and lengths at times. While Siraj has been one of the team's more consistent performers in the last two years, Rana is inexperienced and clearly has some way to go before he can be labeled reliable.

To give themselves a solid wicket-taking option at all stages of the innnings, particularly in Jasprit Bumrah's absence, India should consider replacing Rana with Prasidh Krishna. The Karnataka-born seamer has the ability to extract steep bounce from any surface, and although Adelaide's short square boundaries could work against his style of bowling, the same is true for Rana.

Prasidh has been in excellent form of late, and there's no doubt that ODIs are his best format. Giving him a couple of matches Down Under could further the team's short-term as well as long-term aspirations.